Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Moses Ascends Pisgah
34 Moses ascended from the desert plain of Moab toward Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There[a] the Lord showed him the entire land, from Gilgal as far as Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the territories[b] of Ephraim and Manasseh, and the entire territory[c] of Judah all the way to out over the sea,[d] 3 including the Negev,[e] the Arabah, the valley of Jericho, and the city of the palm trees as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord told him: “This is the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by an oath when I said, ‘I’ll give it to your descendants.’ I’ll let you see it with your eyes, but you won’t cross over there.”
Moses Dies
5 So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, just as the Lord had said.[f] 6 He was buried in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Moab, but no one knows to this day where his burial place is. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight wasn’t impaired and he was still vigorous and strong. 8 The Israelis mourned for Moses at the desert plain of Moab for 30 days, after which the period of mourning for Moses was completed.
The Epitaph for Moses
9 Now Nun’s son Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had placed his hands on him, so the Israelis listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 No prophet ever rose again in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew with such great intimacy.[g]
11 What signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do throughout the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all of his servants who lived in the whole land!
12 What great power[h] and great terror Moses displayed on behalf of all Israel!
BOOK IV (Psalms 90-106)
A prayer by Moses, the godly man
Life is Short
90 Lord, you’ve been our refuge[a]
from generation to generation.
2 Before the mountains were formed
or the earth and the world were brought forth,
you are God from eternity to eternity.
3 You return people to dust
merely by[b] saying, “Return, you mortals!”
4 One thousand years in your sight are but a single day
that passes by, just like a night watch.
5 You will sweep them away while they are asleep—
by morning they are like growing grass.
6 In the morning it blossoms and is renewed,
but toward evening, it fades and withers.
13 Please return, Lord! When will it be?
Comfort your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your gracious love
so we may sing for joy
and rejoice every day.
15 Cause us to rejoice throughout the time when you have afflicted us,
the years when we have known[a] trouble.
16 May your awesome deeds be revealed to your servants,
as well as your splendor to their children.
17 May your favor be on us, Lord our God;
make our endeavors successful;
yes, make our endeavors secure!
Paul Recalls His Visit to the Thessalonians
2 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a waste of time. 2 As you know, we suffered persecution and were mistreated in Philippi. Yet we were encouraged by our God to tell you his[a] gospel in spite of strong opposition. 3 For our appeal to you[b] does not spring from deceit, impure motives, or trickery. 4 Rather, because we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, we speak as we do, not trying to please people but God, who tests our motives.
5 As you know, we did not come with flattering words or with a scheme to make money. God is our witness! 6 We did not seek praise from people—from you or from anyone else— 7 even though as apostles of the Messiah[c] we might have made such demands. Instead, we were gentle[d] among you, like a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children. 8 We cared so deeply for you that we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but our very lives. That is how dear you were to us.
The Greatest Commandment(A)
34 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus[a] had silenced the Sadducees, they met together in the same place. 35 One of them, an expert in the Law, tested him by asking, 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus[b] told him, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the greatest and most important[d] commandment. 39 The second is exactly like it: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’[e] 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
A Question about David’s Son(B)
41 While the Pharisees were still[f] gathered, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah?[g] Whose son is he?”
They told him, “David’s.”
43 He asked them, “Then how can David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord’ when he says,
44 ‘The Lord[h] told my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’?[i]
45 If David calls him ‘Lord’, how can he be his son?”
46 No one could answer him at all,[j] and from that day on no one dared to ask him another question.
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