Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Confession of Israel’s Sins
106 Praise the Lord!
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures for ever!
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord,
or show forth all his praise?
3 Blessed are they who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times!
4 Remember me, O Lord, when thou showest favor to thy people;
help me when thou deliverest them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of thy chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation,
that I may glory with thy heritage.
6 Both we and our fathers have sinned;
we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider thy wonderful works;
they did not remember the abundance of thy steadfast love,
but rebelled against the Most High[a]
at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry;
and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe,
and delivered them from the power of the enemy.
11 And the waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words;
they sang his praise.
Deborah and Barak
4 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. 2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sis′era, who dwelt in Haro′sheth-ha-goi′im. 3 Then the people of Israel cried to the Lord for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years.
4 Now Deb′orah, a prophetess, the wife of Lap′pidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She used to sit under the palm of Deb′orah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of E′phraim; and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abin′o-am from Kedesh in Naph′tali, and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking ten thousand from the tribe of Naph′tali and the tribe of Zeb′ulun. 7 And I will draw out Sis′era, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.’” 8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 And she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sis′era into the hand of a woman.” Then Deb′orah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 And Barak summoned Zeb′ulun and Naph′tali to Kedesh; and ten thousand men went up at his heels; and Deb′orah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Ken′ite had separated from the Ken′ites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Za-anan′nim, which is near Kedesh.
12 When Sis′era was told that Barak the son of Abin′o-am had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sis′era called out all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him, from Haro′sheth-ha-goi′im to the river Kishon. 14 And Deb′orah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sis′era into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 And the Lord routed Sis′era and all his chariots and all his army before Barak at the edge of the sword; and Sis′era alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. 16 And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Haro′sheth-ha-goi′im, and all the army of Sis′era fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; 16 above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.