Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Reversal of the Exodus: Return to Egypt and Exile in Assyria
11 “When Israel was a young man, I loved him like a son,[a]
and I summoned my son[b] out of Egypt.
2 But the more I summoned[c] them,
the farther they departed from me.[d]
They sacrificed to the Baal idols
and burned incense to images.
3 Yet it was I who led[e] Ephraim;
I took them by the arm,
but they did not acknowledge
that I had healed them.[f]
4 I drew them with leather cords,[g]
with straps of hide;[h]
I lifted the yoke[i] from their neck,[j]
and gently fed them.[k]
5 They will return to Egypt![l]
Assyria will rule over them[m]
because they refuse to repent![n]
6 A sword will flash in their cities,
it will destroy the bars of their city gates,
and will devour them in their fortresses.
7 My people are obsessed[o] with turning away from me;[p]
they call to Baal,[q] but he will never exalt them!
The Divine Dilemma: Judgment or Mercy?
8 “How can I give you up,[r] O Ephraim?
How can I surrender you, O Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
How can I make you like Zeboyim?
I have had a change of heart.[s]
All my tender compassions are aroused.[t]
9 I cannot carry out[u] my fierce anger!
I cannot totally destroy Ephraim!
Because I am God, and not man—the Holy One among you—
I will not come in wrath!
God Will Restore the Exiles to Israel
Book 5 (Psalms 107-150)
Psalm 107[a]
107 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures.[b]
2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out,[c]
those whom he delivered[d] from the power[e] of the enemy,
3 and gathered from foreign lands,[f]
from east and west,
from north and south.
4 They wandered through the wilderness, in a wasteland;[g]
they found no road to a city in which to live.
5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion.[h]
6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
7 He led them on a level road,[i]
that they might find a city in which to live.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people.[j]
9 For he has satisfied those who thirst,[k]
and those who hunger he has filled with food.[l]
43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things.
Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love.
Exhortations to Seek the Things Above
3 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ (who is your[a] life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. 5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth:[b] sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion,[c] evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.[d] 7 You also lived your lives[e] in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. 8 But now, put off all such things[f] as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices 10 and have been clothed with the new man[g] that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. 11 Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave[h] or free, but Christ is all and in all.
The Parable of the Rich Landowner
13 Then[a] someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell[b] my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But Jesus[c] said to him, “Man,[d] who made me a judge or arbitrator between you two?”[e] 15 Then[f] he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from[g] all types of greed,[h] because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 He then[i] told them a parable:[j] “The land of a certain rich man produced[k] an abundant crop, 17 so[l] he thought to himself,[m] ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’[n] 18 Then[o] he said, ‘I[p] will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to myself,[q] “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life[r] will be demanded back from[s] you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’[t] 21 So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself,[u] but is not rich toward God.”
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