Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer for Help

60 O God, You have turned away from us. You have broken us. You have been angry. O heal us and turn to us again. ² You have made the land shake. You have torn it open. Heal it where it is broken, for it shakes. ³ You have made Your people suffer hard things. You have given us wine to drink that makes us not able to walk straight. ⁴ You have given a flag to those who fear You, so it may be seen because of the truth. ⁵ Save us with Your right hand, and answer us, so Your loved ones may be set free.

⁶ God has said in His holy place: “I will be full of joy. I will divide Shechem and the valley of Succoth. ⁷ Gilead is Mine. And Manasseh is Mine. Ephraim is the covering for My head. Judah is My Law giver. ⁸ Moab is where I wash My hands. I will throw My shoe over Edom. Call out, Philistia, because of me.”

⁹ Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom? ¹⁰ Have You not turned away from us, O God? And will You not go out with our armies, O God? ¹¹ O give us help against those who hate us. For the help of man is worth nothing. ¹² With God’s help we will do well. And He will break under His feet those who fight against us.

Israel Judged the Last Time

13 When Ephraim spoke, men shook in fear. He was honored in Israel. But he sinned by worshiping Baal, and died. ² And now they sin more and more. They make false gods for themselves. Their able workmen make them out of silver. And they say, “Let the men who give gifts in worship kiss the calf-gods!” ³ So they will be like the morning cloud, and like the water on the grass in the early morning which is soon gone. They will be like the dust of the grain that is blown away from the grain-floor, and like smoke from a fire.

⁴ “I am the Lord your God Who brought you out of Egypt. You were not to know any god but Me, for there is no one who can save you but Me. ⁵ I cared for you in the desert, in the land where there was no water. ⁶ When I fed them, they were filled. And when they were filled, their heart became proud and they forgot Me. ⁷ So I will be like a lion to them. I will lie in wait by the road like a leopard. ⁸ I will fight them like a bear robbed of her young ones. I will tear open their chests. I will eat them there like a female lion, and tear them like a wild animal.

⁹ “I will destroy you, O Israel, because you are against Me, against your Helper. ¹⁰ Where is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your cities, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and leaders’? ¹¹ I gave you a king in My anger, and in My anger I took him away.

¹² “The wrong-doing of Ephraim is being kept. His sin is being stored up. ¹³ The pains like a woman giving birth will come upon him, but he is not a wise son. He is not willing to be born. ¹⁴ I will pay the price to free them from the power of the grave. I will save them from death. O Death, where are your thorns? O Grave, where is your power to destroy? I will have no loving-pity.

¹⁵ “Even if he grows among his brothers, an east wind will come. The wind of the Lord will come from the desert. And his well will dry up. His water will be gone. It will take away everything of much worth. ¹⁶ Samaria will suffer for her guilt, for she has not wanted to obey her God. They will be killed by the sword. Their little ones will be crushed in pieces. And their women who are soon to give birth will be torn open.”

Some Things to Do

² You must keep praying. Keep watching! Be thankful always. ³ As you pray, be sure to pray for us also. Pray that God will open the door for us to preach the Word. We want to tell the secret of Christ. And this is the reason I am in prison. ⁴ Pray that I will be able to preach so everyone can understand. This is the way I should speak. ⁵ Be wise in the way you live around those who are not Christians. Make good use of your time. ⁶ Speak with them in such a way they will want to listen to you. Do not let your talk sound foolish. Know how to give the right answer to anyone.