Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Trust in His Chesed

Psalm 13

⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the House of Adonai in front of the new courtyard ⁶ and said:

“Adonai, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand and no one can stand against You. ⁷ Are You not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and gave it to the descendants of Your friend Abraham forever? ⁸ They settled in it and built You a Temple there for Your Name saying, ⁹ ‘If calamity comes upon us—the sword of judgment, pestilence or famine—we will stand before this House and before You—for Your Name is in this House—and cry to You in our distress and You will hear and deliver us.’

¹⁰ “Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir—whose land You did not allow Israel to invade when they came from the land of Egypt, instead they turned aside from them and did not destroy them— ¹¹ now behold, how they repay us by coming to drive us out of Your possession that You gave us as an inheritance. ¹² Our God, will You not execute judgment on them? For we have no power to face this great multitude that is attacking us. We do not know what to do—but our eyes are on You.”

⁷ You were running a great race! Who blocked you from following the truth? ⁸ This detour doesn’t come from the One who calls you. ⁹ A little hametz works its way through the whole batch of dough! ¹⁰ I am confident in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But the one who is confusing you will pay the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ As for me, brothers and sisters, if I still proclaim circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case, the stumbling block of the cross has been eliminated. ¹² I only wish those who are agitating you would castrate themselves!^[a]