Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Foolish Men

53 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are sinful and have done bad things. There is no one who does good. ² God has looked down from heaven at the children of men to see if there is anyone who understands and looks for God. ³ They have all turned back. They have all turned to sin. There is no one who does good, not even one. ⁴ Have those who do wrong no understanding? They eat up My people like they eat bread. They have not called upon God. ⁵ There they were, in much fear, where there was nothing to be afraid of. For God has spread out the bones of those who come against you. You put them to shame, because God has turned away from them. ⁶ O, that the saving of Israel would come out of Zion! Jacob will be full of joy and Israel will be glad when God returns His people to their land.

The Seventh Year—a Year of Rest for the Lord

25 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, ² “Say to the people of Israel, ‘When you come to the land I will give you, then the land will have a Year of Rest to the Lord. ³ Six years you will plant seeds in your field. Six years you will take care of your vines and gather their fruit. ⁴ But the seventh year will be a Year of Rest for the land, a Year of Rest to the Lord. You will not plant seeds in your field or take care of your vines. ⁵ You will not gather what grows of itself in your field. And do not gather the fruit of the vines that have not been cared for. The land will have a Year of Rest. ⁶ During the Year of Rest the land will give food for you, for your men and women servants, the man you pay to work for you, and the stranger who lives with you. ⁷ Even your cattle and the animals in your land will have food to eat.

The Fiftieth Year

⁸ ‘You are to number seven Years of Rest for yourself, seven times seven years. The time of the seven Years of Rest will be forty-nine years. ⁹ Then let the horn be heard on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the day to be made free from sin you will let a horn be heard all through your land. ¹⁰ You will honor the fiftieth year as holy. And let it be known in all the land that all who are living there are free. It will be a happy time for you. Each of you will return to what is his. Each will return to his family. ¹¹ That fiftieth year will be a happy time for you. You will not plant seeds in the field, or gather the food that grows of itself, or gather fruit from the vines that are not cared for. ¹² This is a happy time. It will be holy to you. You will eat from what the field gives.

¹³ ‘In this Year of Jubilee each one will have what was his. ¹⁴ If you sell anything to your neighbor, or buy from your neighbor, do not do wrong to one another. ¹⁵ You will pay your neighbor by the number of years since the Year of Jubilee. And he will sell to you by the number of years the food may be gathered. ¹⁶ You will make the price more if there are many years, and make the price less if there are few years. For he is selling you the food that is gathered each year. ¹⁷ Do not do wrong to one another, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God.

The Seventh Year

¹⁸ ‘So keep My Laws and do what I say, and you will be safe living in the land. ¹⁹ Then the land will give its food, so you can eat all you want and be safe living there.

⁹ The angel said to me, “Write this: ‘Those who are asked to the wedding supper of the Lamb are happy.’” And he said, “These are the true words of God.” ¹⁰ Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “No! Do not worship me. I am a servant together with you and your Christian brothers who tell of their trust in Christ. Worship God. For those who speak for Jesus are led in what to say as the early preachers were led.”