Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Water from the Rock
17 (A)All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 (B)Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you (C)test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and (D)the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready (E)to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with (F)which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 (G)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place (H)Massah[a] and (I)Meribah,[b] because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Tell the Coming Generation
A Maskil[a] of (A)Asaph.
78 (B)Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2 (C)I will open my mouth (D)in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known,
that our (E)fathers have told us.
4 We will not (F)hide them from their children,
but (G)tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and (H)the wonders that he has done.
12 In the sight of their fathers (A)he performed wonders
in the land of Egypt, in (B)the fields of Zoan.
13 He (C)divided the sea and let them pass through it,
and made the waters (D)stand like a heap.
14 (E)In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a fiery light.
15 He (F)split rocks in the wilderness
and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
16 He made streams come out of (G)the rock
and caused waters to flow down like rivers.
Christ's Example of Humility
2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from (A)love, any (B)participation in the Spirit, any (C)affection and sympathy, 2 (D)complete my joy by being (E)of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from (F)selfish ambition or (G)conceit, but in (H)humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you (I)look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 (J)Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 (K)who, though he was in (L)the form of God, did not count equality with God (M)a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but (N)emptied himself, by taking the form of a (O)servant,[c] (P)being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by (Q)becoming obedient to the point of death, (R)even death on a cross. 9 (S)Therefore (T)God has (U)highly exalted him and bestowed on him (V)the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus (W)every knee should bow, (X)in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and (Y)every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is (Z)Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Lights in the World
12 Therefore, my beloved, (AA)as you have always (AB)obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for (AC)it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for (AD)his good pleasure.
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
23 (A)And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him (B)as he was teaching, and said, (C)“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, (D)from where did it come? (E)From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, (F)‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ (G)we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was (H)a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 (I)“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in (J)the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he (K)changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, (L)the tax collectors and (M)the prostitutes go into (N)the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you (O)in the way of righteousness, and (P)you did not believe him, but (Q)the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward (R)change your minds and believe him.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.