Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Israel’s Rebelliousness and the Lord’s Help.
106 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Oh (A)give thanks to the Lord, for He (B)is good;
For (C)His mercy is everlasting.
2 Who can speak of the (D)mighty deeds of the Lord,
Or can proclaim all His praise?
3 How blessed are those who maintain [c]justice,
[d]Who (E)practice righteousness at all times!
19 They (A)made a calf in Horeb,
And worshiped a cast metal image.
20 So they (B)exchanged their glory
For the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They (C)forgot God their Savior,
Who had done (D)great things in Egypt,
22 [a](E)Wonders in the land of Ham,
And awesome things by the [b]Red Sea.
23 Therefore (F)He said that He would destroy them,
If (G)Moses, His chosen one, had not stood in the gap before Him,
To turn away His wrath from destroying them.
People Affirm Their Covenant with God
24 Then He said to Moses, “(A)Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, (B)Nadab and Abihu, and (C)seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. 2 Moses alone, however, shall approach the Lord, but they shall not approach, nor shall the people come up with him.”
3 Then Moses came and reported to the people all the words of the Lord and all the [a]ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “(D)All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!” 4 And (E)Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he got up early in the morning, and built an (F)altar [b]at the foot of the mountain with twelve memorial stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, (G)and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. 6 (H)Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took (I)the Book of the Covenant and read it [c]as the people listened; and they said, “(J)All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” 8 So (K)Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold (L)the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has [d]made with you [e]in accordance with all these words.”
Serve God Willingly
5 (A)Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your (B)fellow elder and a (C)witness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who is also a [a](D)fellow partaker of the glory that is to be revealed: 2 shepherd (E)the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, (F)not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and (G)not [b]with greed but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as (H)domineering over [c]those assigned to your care, but by [d]proving to be [e](I)examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief (J)Shepherd appears, you will receive the (K)unfading [f](L)crown of glory. 5 (M)You [g]younger men, likewise, (N)be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with (O)humility toward one another, because (P)God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.
12 Through (A)Silvanus, our faithful brother [a](for so I regard him), (B)I have written to you briefly, [b]exhorting and testifying that this is (C)the true grace of God. (D)Stand firm in it! 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, (E)Mark. 14 (F)Greet one another with a kiss of love.
(G)Peace be to you all who are in Christ.
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