Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
149 Praise the Lord.
Sing a new song to the Lord.
Sing praise to him in the assembly of his faithful people.
2 Let Israel be filled with joy because God is their Maker.
Let the people of Zion be glad because he is their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing.
Let them make music to him with harps and tambourines.
4 The Lord takes delight in his people.
He awards with victory those who are humble.
5 Let his faithful people be filled with joy because of that honor.
Let them sing for joy even when they are lying in bed.
6 May they praise God with their mouths.
May they hold in their hands a sword that has two edges.
7 Let them pay the nations back.
Let them punish the people of the earth.
8 Let them put the kings of those nations in chains.
Let them put their nobles in iron chains.
9 Let them carry out God’s sentence against those nations.
This will bring glory to all his faithful people.
Praise the Lord.
The Plague of Darkness
21 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Reach out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt. It will be so dark that people can feel it.” 22 So Moses reached out his hand toward the sky. Then complete darkness covered Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or go anywhere for three days. But all the people of Israel had light where they lived.
24 Then Pharaoh sent for Moses. He said to him, “Go. Worship the Lord. Even your women and children can go with you. Just leave your flocks and herds behind.”
25 But Moses said, “You must allow us to take our animals. We need to offer them as sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock must also go with us. We have to use some of them to worship the Lord our God. We can’t leave even one animal behind. Until we get there, we won’t know what we are supposed to use to worship the Lord.”
27 But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn. So he wouldn’t let the people go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you don’t come to see me again! If you do, you will die.”
29 “I’ll do just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never come to see you again.”
15 And how can anyone preach without being sent? It is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Isaiah 52:7)
16 But not all the people of Israel accepted the good news. Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” (Isaiah 53:1) 17 So faith comes from hearing the message. And the message that is heard is the message about Christ. 18 But I ask, “Didn’t the people of Israel hear?” Of course they did. It is written,
“Their voice has gone out into the whole earth.
Their words have gone out from one end of the world to the other.” (Psalm 19:4)
19 Again I ask, “Didn’t Israel understand?” First, Moses says,
“I will use people who are not a nation to make you jealous.
I will use a nation that has no understanding to make you angry.” (Deuteronomy 32:21)
20 Then Isaiah boldly speaks about what God says. God said,
“I was found by those who were not trying to find me.
I made myself known to those who were not asking for me.” (Isaiah 65:1)
21 But Isaiah also speaks about what God says concerning Israel. God said,
“All day long I have held out my hands.
I have held them out to a stubborn people who do not obey me.” (Isaiah 65:2)
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