Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
There is only one true God[a]
115 Lord, you are the one
who deserves that people praise you.
They should praise only you, not us!
Because you love us with a faithful love,
and you always do what you have promised.
2 Why should other nations say about us,
‘Where is their God?’
3 We know that our God is in heaven.
He does whatever he wants to do.
4 Those people's idols are made from silver and gold.
Yes, human hands make them!
5 Each idol has a mouth,
but it cannot speak!
It has eyes, but it cannot see!
6 It has ears, but it cannot hear!
It has a nose, but it cannot smell!
7 It has hands, but it cannot feel anything!
It has feet, but it cannot walk!
They cannot make a sound!
8 The people that make those idols
will become useless like them.
The same is true for everyone
who trusts their idols to help them.
9 People of Israel,
trust in the Lord.
He is the one who helps you
and keeps you safe.
10 Aaron's family,
trust in the Lord.[b]
He is the one who helps you
and keeps you safe.
11 Everyone who serves the Lord,
trust in the Lord.
He is the one who helps you
and keeps you safe.
12 The Lord will remember us,
and he will bless us.
He will bless Israel's people.
He will bless Aaron's family.
13 He will bless everybody who serves him,
whether they are important people or not.
14 I pray that the Lord will give you many children,
and your children too!
15 I pray that the Lord will bless you all.
He is the one who made the whole universe.
16 The heavens belong to the Lord,
but he has given the earth to us people.
17 Dead people cannot praise the Lord.
In their graves, they are unable to speak.
18 But we will praise the Lord,
now and for ever.
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Deborah's song
5 On that day Deborah sang this song, with Abinoam's son Barak:
2 ‘The leaders of Israel led their people out.
The people were happy to follow them to the battle.
Praise the Lord!
3 Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I will sing to worship the Lord.
Yes, I will praise him with a song.
He is the Lord, Israel's God.
4 Lord, you came from Seir mountains.
Yes, you marched from the land of Edom.[a]
As you came, the earth shook.
Rain poured down from the clouds in the sky.
5 The mountains shook when you appeared,
as they shook at Sinai mountain when you showed your power.
You are the Lord, the God of Israel.
6 When Anath's son Shamgar ruled the land,
nobody travelled on the roads.
When Jael ruled, people walked on secret paths,
because they were afraid.
7 Nobody lived in the small villages.
Then I, Deborah, became their leader.
I became like a mother for Israel's people,
to keep them safe.
8 When the Israelites chose new gods to worship,
enemies attacked their cities.
No one in Israel was ready to fight.
Not one of their 40,000 soldiers had a shield or a spear.
9 I thank God for Israel's leaders,
and the people who are ready to fight our enemies.
Praise the Lord!
10 Listen to me, you rich people who ride on white donkeys,
with beautiful cloths to sit on.
And you people who walk along the road,
you should listen too!
11 Listen to the voices of the singers near the wells of water.
They sing about the great things that the Lord has done.
They tell how Israel's soldiers have won against their enemies.
Then the Lord's people marched down to the city gates.
Church meetings
26 My Christian friends, this is what you should do when you meet together. Some of you may have a song to praise God. Some of you may have a lesson to teach about God. Other people may have a special thing that God has shown to them. Some people may have a message in a special language. Other people may explain what the message means. Do all these things to help the church become stronger.
27 If some people speak in special languages, it should only be two or three people. They should speak one person at a time. Then someone must explain what each person said. 28 But perhaps there is nobody among you who can explain like that. Then, anyone who wanted to speak in a special language must be quiet in your meeting. When they are on their own, they should speak to God.
29 When you meet together, two or three people should speak a message from God. Then the other people there should think carefully about each message. 30 Someone who is sitting in your meeting may receive a special message from God. Then, the person who is already speaking should stop. 31 In that way, each person can speak a message from God, one person at a time. Then everyone will learn something that helps them. 32 All of you who speak messages from God have authority over your own spirits. 33 When we meet together as God's people, he wants there to be peace among us. He does not want to bring trouble.
This is what happens in all the churches where God's people meet together. 34 The women should be quiet during the meetings. They should not speak. They should remember that they are under authority. That is also what God's Law teaches. 35 If a woman wants to ask about something, she should ask her husband at home. Women should be ashamed if they speak in the church.[a] 36 Remember that God's message did not start from you in Corinth! You are not the only people who have heard it, either.
37 Someone may think that he has the gift to speak messages from God. Or he may think that he has received other spiritual gifts. Anyone who thinks like that should agree with what I have written to you. He should recognize that it is what the Lord himself is telling his people to do. 38 If anyone refuses to accept this, you should not accept that person.
39 My Christian friends, this is what I am saying to you: It is good when you want to speak clear messages from God. And if anyone has the gift to speak in a special language, do not stop them. 40 But you must do everything in a proper way that helps people.
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