Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer for God to Destroy the Sinful

10 Why do You stand far away, O Lord? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? ² The sinful, in their pride, try to catch the weak. Let them be caught in the plans they have made. ³ The sinful man is proud of the desires of his heart. He praises those who want everything but he speaks against the Lord. ⁴ The sinful man in his pride does not look for God. All his thoughts are that there is no God. ⁵ His ways always go well for him. Your laws are too high for him to see. He laughs at those who hate him. ⁶ He says to himself, “I will not be moved. For all time, I will never have trouble.” ⁷ With his mouth he swears and lies. He makes it hard for other people. Trouble and sin are under his tongue. ⁸ He lies hidden in the towns, waiting to kill those who are not guilty. His eyes are always watching for the weak. ⁹ He lies in wait like a hidden lion. He lies in wait to catch the weak, and they become caught in his net. ¹⁰ The weak are hurt and they fall. They cannot stand under his strength. ¹¹ He says to himself, “God has forgotten. He has hidden His face and will never see it.”

¹² Rise up, O Lord! Lift up Your hand, O God. Do not forget the weak. ¹³ Why does the sinful man turn away from God? He has said to himself, “You will not ask it of me.” ¹⁴ But You have seen it. You look upon trouble and suffering, to take it into Your hands. The suffering man gives himself to You. You are the Helper of the one who has no father. ¹⁵ Break the arm of the bad and sinful man. Find out all his sins until You find no more. ¹⁶ The Lord is King forever and ever. Those who worship false gods will be taken from the land.

¹⁷ O Lord, You have heard the prayers of those who have no pride. You will give strength to their heart, and You will listen to them. ¹⁸ In this way, You will do the right thing for those without a father and those who suffer, so that man who is of the earth will no longer make them afraid.

Israel’s Sinful Actions

²⁷ “You will speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You will call to them, but they will not answer you. ²⁸ And you will say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God or receive His strong teaching. They have lost the truth. It has been cut off from their mouth. ²⁹ Cut off your hair and throw it away. And cry in sorrow on the open hill-tops. For the Lord has turned away and left the people who made Him angry.’ ³⁰ For the sons of Judah have done what is sinful in My eyes,” says the Lord. “They have put their hated things in the house that is called by My name, to make it unclean. ³¹ And they have built the high places of Topheth, in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I did not tell them to do this. It did not come into My mind. ³² So the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when it will not be called Topheth any more, or the valley of the son of Hinnom. But it will be called the valley of Killing. For they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place. ³³ The dead bodies of these people will be food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the earth. And no one will send them away in fear. ³⁴ Then in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, I will put an end to the voice of joy and the voice of happiness, the voice of the man to be married and the voice of the bride. For the land will become a waste.

Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest ^(A)

⁶ On another Day of Rest Jesus went into the Jewish place of worship and taught. A man with a dried-up hand was there. ⁷ The teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers watched to see if He would heal on the Day of Rest. They wanted to have something to say against Him. ⁸ Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to the man with the dried-up hand, “Stand up and come here.” The man stood up and went to Jesus. ⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing. Does the Law say to do good on the Day of Rest or to do bad? To save life or to kill?” ¹⁰ Jesus looked around at them all and said to the man, “Put out your hand.” He put it out and his hand was healed. It was as good as his other hand. ¹¹ The teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers were filled with anger. They talked with each other about what they might do to Jesus.