Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
(A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune “Mahalath.”[a])
No One Can Ignore God
1 (A) Only a fool would say,
“There is no God!”
People like that are worthless!
They are heartless and cruel
and never do right.
2 From heaven God
looks down to see
if anyone is wise enough
to search for him.
3 But all of them
are crooked and corrupt.
Not one of them does right.
4 Won't you lawbreakers learn?
You refuse to pray,
and you gobble up
the people of God.
5 But you will be terrified
worse than ever before.
God will scatter the bones
of his enemies,
and you will be ashamed
when God rejects you.
6 I long for someone from Zion
to come and save Israel!
Our God, when you bless
your people again,
Jacob's family will be glad,
and Israel will celebrate.
The Great Day of Forgiveness
(Numbers 29.7-11)
26 (A) The Lord God said to Moses:
27 The tenth day of the seventh month[a] is the Great Day of Forgiveness.[b] It is a solemn day of worship; everyone must go without eating to show sorrow for their sins, and sacrifices must be burned. 28 No one is to work on that day—it is the Great Day of Forgiveness, when sacrifices will be offered to me, so that I will forgive your sins. 29 I will destroy anyone who refuses to go without eating. 30-31 None of my people are ever to do any work on that day—not now or in the future. And I will wipe out those who do! 32 This is a time of complete rest just like the Sabbath, and everyone must go without eating from the evening of the ninth to the evening of the tenth.
The Festival of Shelters
(Numbers 29.12-40)
33 (B) The Lord told Moses 34 to say to the community of Israel:
Beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month,[c] and continuing for seven days, everyone must celebrate the Festival of Shelters in honor of me. 35 No one is to do any work on the first day of the festival—it is a time when everyone must come together for worship. 36 For seven days, sacrifices must be offered on the altar. The eighth day is also to be a day of complete rest, as well as a time of offering sacrifices on the altar and of coming together for worship.
37 I have chosen these festivals as times when my people must come together for worship and when animals, grain, and wine are to be offered on the proper days. 38 These festivals must be celebrated in addition to the Sabbaths and the times when you offer special gifts or sacrifices to keep a promise or as a voluntary offering.
39 Remember to begin the Festival of Shelters on the fifteenth day of the seventh month after you have harvested your crops. Celebrate this festival for seven days in honor of me and don't do any work on the first day or on the day following the festival. 40 Pick the best fruit from your trees[d] and cut leafy branches to use during the time of this joyous celebration in my honor. 41 I command you and all of your descendants to celebrate this festival during the seventh month of each year.
19 After this, I heard what sounded like a lot of voices in heaven, and they were shouting,
“Praise the Lord!
To our God belongs
the glorious power to save,
2 (A) because his judgments
are honest and fair.
That filthy prostitute
ruined the earth
with shameful deeds.
But God has judged her
and made her pay
the price for murdering
his servants.”
3 (B) Then the crowd shouted,
“Praise the Lord!
Smoke will never stop rising
from her burning body.”
4 After this, the 24 elders and the four living creatures all knelt before the throne of God and worshiped him. They said, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
5 (C) From the throne a voice said,
“If you worship
and fear our God,
give praise to him,
no matter who you are.”
6 (D) Then I heard what seemed to be a large crowd that sounded like a roaring flood and loud thunder all mixed together. They were saying,
“Praise the Lord!
Our Lord God All-Powerful
now rules as king.
7 So we will be glad and happy
and give him praise.
The wedding day of the Lamb
is here,
and his bride is ready.
8 She will be given
a wedding dress
made of pure
and shining linen.
This linen stands for
the good things
God's people have done.”
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.