Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

God Watches Over His People

124 “If the Lord had not been on our side,” let Israel say, ² “If the Lord had not been on our side when men came against us, ³ they would have eaten us up alive. Because their anger burned against us. ⁴ The waters would have covered us. The river would have passed over our soul. ⁵ The angry waters would have passed over our soul.”

⁶ Honor and thanks be to the Lord! He has not let us be torn by their teeth. ⁷ We have become free like a bird out of a trap. The net is broken and now we are free. ⁸ Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

God’s Agreement with Noah

9 God made good come to Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Have many children, and cover the earth. ² Every animal of the earth, every bird of the sky, everything that moves on the ground, and all the fish of the sea will be afraid of you. They are given into your hand. ³ Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. I give all to you as I gave you the green plants. ⁴ But you must not eat meat with blood in it because that is its life. ⁵ For sure, I will take the life of every animal and every person for taking a life. I will punish every man’s brother for taking the life of man. ⁶ Whoever takes the life of a man will have his life taken. For God made man to be like Him. ⁷ As for you, have many children. Cover the earth with many people.”

⁸ Then God said to Noah and his sons, ⁹ “See, I make My agreement with you, and with your children after you, ¹⁰ and with every living thing that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every animal of the earth, of all that came out of the large boat, every living thing on earth. ¹¹ I make My agreement with you, that never again will all flesh be destroyed by the water of a flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” ¹² Then God said, “This is something special to see for all time, because of the agreement that I am making between Me and you and every living thing that is with you: ¹³ I will set My rain-bow in the cloud, and it will be something special to see because of an agreement between Me and the earth. ¹⁴ When I bring clouds over the earth and the rain-bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember My agreement that is between Me and you and every living thing of all flesh. Never again will the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶ When the rain-bow is in the cloud, I will look upon it to remember the agreement that will last forever between God and every living thing of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷ God said to Noah, “This is the special thing to see because of the agreement I have made between Me and all flesh upon the earth.”

There Were Many More Who Had Faith in God

³² What more should I say? There is not enough time to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Samson and of Jephthah and of David and of Samuel and of the early preachers. ³³ It was because these people had faith that they won wars over other countries. They were good leaders. They received what God promised to them. They closed the mouths of lions ³⁴ and stopped fire that was burning. They got away from being killed with swords. They were made strong again after they had been weak and sick. They were strong in war. They made fighting men from other countries run home. ³⁵ It was because some women had faith that they received their dead back to life. Others chose to be beaten instead of being set free, because they would not turn against God. In this way, they would be raised to a better life. ³⁶ Others were talked against. Some were beaten. Some were put in chains and in prison. ³⁷ They were killed by stones being thrown at them. People were cut in pieces. They were tested. They were killed with swords. They wore skins of sheep and goats and had nothing they could call their own. They were hungry and sick. Everyone was bad to them. ³⁸ They walked around in deserts and in mountains. They looked for caves and holes in the earth to live in. They were too good for this world. ³⁹ It was because of their faith that God was pleased with them. But they did not receive what God had promised. ⁴⁰ God had planned something better for us. These men could not be made perfect without us.