Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
BOOK V (Psalms 107-150)
Gratitude for God’s Deliverance
107 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His gracious love exists forever.
2 Let those who have been redeemed by the Lord declare it—
those whom he redeemed
from the power[a] of the enemy,
3 those whom he gathered from other lands—
from the east, west, north, and south.[b]
4 They wandered in desolate wilderness;
they found no road to a city where they could live.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
their spirits[c] failed.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them in a straight way
to find a city where they could live.
33 He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into dry ground,
34 and a fruitful land into a salty waste,
due to the wickedness of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a desert into a pool of water,
dry land into springs of water.
36 There he settled the hungry,
where they built a city to live in.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a productive harvest.
God’s Instructions to Joshua
1 After Moses, the servant of the Lord, had died, the Lord spoke to Nun’s son Joshua, announcing to him, 2 “My servant Moses is dead. Now get ready to cross the Jordan River[a]—you and all the people—to the land that I’m giving the Israelis. 3 I’m giving you every place where the sole of your foot falls, just as I promised Moses. 4 Your territorial border will extend from the wilderness to the Lebanon Mountains,[b] to the river—that great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—as far as the Mediterranean[c] Sea where the sun sets. 5 No one will be victorious[d] against you for the rest of your life. I’ll be with you just like I was with Moses—I’ll neither fail you nor abandon you.
6 “Be strong and courageous, because you’ll be leading this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. 7 Only be strong and very courageous to ensure that you obey all the instructions[e] that my servant Moses gave you—turn neither to the right nor to the left from it—so that you may succeed wherever you go. 8 This set of instructions[f] is not to cease being a part of your conversations.[g] Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to carry out everything that’s written in it, for then you’ll prosper and succeed. 9 I’ve commanded you, haven’t I? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be fearful or discouraged, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua Gives Orders to His Leaders
10 Then Joshua gave orders to the officials of the people. 11 “Go through the camp,” he said, “and command the people, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, because within three days you’ll be crossing the Jordan River to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you—so go get it!’”
Who is a Jew?
17 Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the Law, and boast about God, 18 and know his will, and approve of what is best because you have been instructed in the Law; 19 and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 an instructor of ignorant people, and a teacher of infants because you have the full content of knowledge and truth in the Law— 21 as you teach others, do you fail to teach yourself? As you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 As you forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? As you abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 As you boast about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law? 24 As it is written, “God’s name is being blasphemed among the gentiles because of you.”[a]
25 For circumcision is valuable if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, your having been circumcised has no more value than if you were uncircumcised. 26 So if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the requirements of the Law, his uncircumcision will be regarded as circumcision, won’t it? 27 The man who is uncircumcised physically but who keeps the Law will condemn you who break the Law, even though you have the written Law[b] and circumcision. 28 For a person is not a Jew because of his appearance, nor is circumcision something just external and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, brought about by the Spirit, not by a written law.[c] That person’s praise will come from God, not from people.
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