Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God Decides Right from Wrong
50 The Powerful One, God, the Lord, has spoken. And He calls the earth from where the sun rises to where the sun goes down. 2 God shines from Zion, perfect in beauty. 3 May our God come and not keep quiet. A fire burns before Him, and around Him is a powerful storm. 4 He calls the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people: 5 “Gather My holy ones to Me, those who have made an agreement with Me by their gifts given on an altar.” 6 And the heavens will tell how right and good He is, for God Himself is judge.
7 “Listen, O My people, and I will speak. O Israel, I will speak against you. I am God, your God. 8 I do not speak sharp words to you for your gifts given on an altar. And your burnt gifts are always before Me.
22 “Now think about this, you who forget God, or I will tear you in pieces and there will be no one to save you. 23 He who gives a gift of thanks honors Me. And to him who makes his way right, I will show him the saving power of God.”
18 For sin burns like a fire. It burns thistles and thorns. It sets the woods on fire, and they go up in smoke. 19 The land is burned up by the anger of the Lord, and the people are like wood for the fire. No man shows pity on his brother. 20 They take what is on the right hand but still are hungry. They eat what is in the left hand but are not filled. Each of them eats the flesh of his own children. 21 Manasseh goes against Ephraim, and Ephraim goes against Manasseh. And together they are against Judah. Even with all this, the Lord’s anger does not turn away. His hand is still held out.
10 It is bad for those who make laws that are not fair. It is bad for those who make it hard for people. 2 They keep what is right and fair from those in need. They take away the rights of the poor of My people. They take from wives after their husbands die, and take what belongs to those who have no parents. 3 Now what will you do in the day of punishment, when the destroying power comes from far away? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? 4 Nothing will be left to do but to bow down among those who are being taken to prison, or fall among those who are killed. Even with all this, His anger does not turn away. His hand is still held out.
Stephen Speaks about the God of Abraham
7 The head religious leader asked Stephen, “Are these things true?” 2 Stephen said, “My brothers and fathers, listen to me. The great God showed Himself to our early father Abraham while he lived in the country of Mesopotamia. This was before he moved to the country of Haran. 3 God said to him, ‘Leave your family and this land where you were born. Go to a land that I will show you.’ 4 He went from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, he came to this country where you now live. 5 God did not give him any land to own, not even enough to put his feet on. But He promised that the land would be his and his children’s after him. At that time he had no children. 6 This is what God said, ‘Your children’s children will be living in a strange land. They will live there 400 years. They will be made to work without pay and will suffer many hard things. 7 I will say to that nation that it is guilty for holding them and making them work without pay. After that they will go free. They will leave that country and worship Me in this place.’
8 “He made a promise with Abraham. It was kept by a religious act of becoming a Jew. Abraham had a son, Isaac. On the eighth day Abraham took Isaac and had this religious act done to him. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of our twelve early fathers.
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