Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer to Bring Israel Back
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies of the Agreement.” A psalm of Asaph.
80 Shepherd of Israel, listen to us.
You lead the people of Joseph like a flock.
You sit on your throne between the gold creatures with wings.
Show your greatness 2 to the people of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Use your strength,
and come to save us.
3 God, take us back.
Show us your kindness so we can be saved.
4 Lord God All-Powerful,
how long will you be angry
at the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed your people with tears;
you have made them drink many tears.
6 You made those around us fight over us,
and our enemies make fun of us.
7 God All-Powerful, take us back.
Show us your kindness so we can be saved.
The New Agreement
31 “Look, the time is coming,” says the Lord,
“when I will make a new agreement
with the people of Israel
and the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the agreement
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to bring them out of Egypt.
I was a husband to them,
but they broke that agreement,” says the Lord.
33 “This is the agreement I will make
with the people of Israel at that time,” says the Lord:
“I will put my teachings in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 People will no longer have to teach their neighbors and relatives
to know the Lord,
because all people will know me,
from the least to the most important,” says the Lord.
“I will forgive them for the wicked things they did,
and I will not remember their sins anymore.”
10 And because of this, we are made holy through the sacrifice Christ made in his body once and for all time.
11 Every day the priests stand and do their religious service, often offering the same sacrifices. Those sacrifices can never take away sins. 12 But after Christ offered one sacrifice for sins, forever, he sat down at the right side of God. 13 And now Christ waits there for his enemies to be put under his power. 14 With one sacrifice he made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15 The Holy Spirit also tells us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the agreement[a] I will make
with them at that time, says the Lord.
I will put my teachings in their hearts
and write them on their minds.” Jeremiah 31:33
17 Then he says:
“Their sins and the evil things they do—
I will not remember anymore.” Jeremiah 31:34
18 Now when these have been forgiven, there is no more need for a sacrifice for sins.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.