Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
11 I run to the Lord for safety.
So how can you say to me,
“Fly away like a bird to your mountain.
2 Look! Evil people are bending their bows.
They are placing their arrows against the strings.
They are planning to shoot from the shadows
at those who have honest hearts.
3 When law and order are being destroyed,
what can godly people do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple.
The Lord is on his throne in heaven.
He watches everyone on earth.
His eyes study them.
5 The Lord watches over those who do what is right.
But he really hates sinful people and those who love to hurt others.
6 He will pour out flaming coals and burning sulfur
on those who do what is wrong.
A hot and dry wind will destroy them.
7 The Lord always does what is right.
So he loves it when people do what is fair.
Those who are honest will enjoy his blessing.
The Lord Will Destroy the Earth
24 The Lord is going to completely destroy everything on earth.
He will twist its surface.
He’ll scatter those who live on it.
2 Priests and people alike will suffer.
So will masters and their servants.
And so will women and their female servants.
Sellers and buyers alike will suffer.
So will those who borrow and those who lend.
And so will those who owe money and those who lend it.
3 The earth will be completely destroyed.
Everything of value will be taken out of it.
That’s what the Lord has said.
4 The earth will dry up completely.
The world will dry up and waste away.
The heavens will fade away along with the earth.
5 The earth is polluted by its people.
They haven’t obeyed the laws of the Lord.
They haven’t done what he told them to do.
They’ve broken the covenant that will last forever.
6 So the Lord will send a curse on the earth.
Its people will pay for what they’ve done.
They will be burned up.
Very few of them will be left.
7 The vines and fresh wine will dry up completely.
Those who used to have a good time will groan.
8 The happy sounds of tambourines will be gone.
The noise of those who enjoy wild parties will stop.
The joyful music of harps will become silent.
9 People will no longer sing as they drink wine.
Beer will taste bitter to those who drink it.
10 Destroyed cities will lie empty.
People will lock themselves inside their houses.
11 In the streets people will cry out for wine.
All joy will turn into sadness.
All joyful sounds will be driven out of the earth.
12 All the buildings will be knocked down.
Every city gate will be smashed to pieces.
13 That’s how it will be on the earth.
And that’s how it will be among the nations.
It will be as when workers knock all but a few olives off the trees.
It will be like a vine that has only a few grapes left after the harvest.
17 Abraham had faith. So when God tested him, Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham had held on tightly to the promises. But he was about to offer his one and only son. 18 God had said to him, “Your family line will continue through Isaac.” (Genesis 21:12) Even so, Abraham was going to offer him up. 19 Abraham did this, because he believed that God could even raise the dead. In a way, he did receive Isaac back from death.
20 Isaac had faith. So he blessed Jacob and Esau. He told them what was ahead for them.
21 Jacob had faith. So he blessed each of Joseph’s sons. He blessed them when he was dying. Because of his faith he worshiped God. Jacob worshiped as he leaned on the top of his walking stick.
22 Joseph had faith. So he spoke to the people of Israel about how they would leave Egypt someday. When his death was near, he spoke about where to bury his bones.
23 Moses’ parents had faith. So they hid him for three months after he was born. They saw he was a special child. They were not afraid of the king’s command.
24 Moses had faith. So he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. That happened after he had grown up. 25 He chose to be treated badly together with the people of God. He chose not to enjoy sin’s pleasures. They only last for a short time. 26 He suffered shame because of Christ. He thought it had great value. Moses considered it better than the riches of Egypt. He was looking ahead to his reward. 27 Because of his faith, Moses left Egypt. It wasn’t because he was afraid of the king’s anger. He didn’t let anything stop him. That’s because he saw the God who can’t be seen. 28 Because of his faith, Moses was the first to keep the Passover Feast. He commanded the people of Israel to sprinkle blood on their doorways. He did it so that the destroying angel would not touch their oldest sons.
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