Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Golden Calf

32 Then the people saw that Moses ^(A)delayed to come down from the mountain. So the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Arise, ^(B)make us ^[a]gods who will go before us; as for ^(C)this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” ² And Aaron said to them, “^(D)Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” ³ Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ And he took this from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a ^(E)molten calf; and they said, “^[b]These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” ⁵ And Aaron looked and built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh.” ⁶ So the next day they rose early and ^(F)offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and ^(G)the people sat down to eat and to drink and rose up ^(H)to play.

⁷ Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go! Go down at once, for your people, whom ^(I)you brought up from the land of Egypt, have ^(J)corrupted themselves. ⁸ They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. ^(K)They have made for themselves a molten calf and have worshiped it and ^(L)have sacrificed to it and said, ‘^[c](M)These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” ^9 (N)And Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are ^(O)a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now then ^(P)let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may consume them; and ^(Q)I will make you a great nation.”

¹¹ Then ^(R)Moses entreated ^[d]the favor of Yahweh his God and said, “O Yahweh, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand? ¹² Why should ^(S)the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and relent concerning doing harm to Your people. ¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You ^(T)swore by Yourself, and You said to them, ‘I will ^(U)multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and ^(V)all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.’” ^14 (W)So Yahweh relented concerning the harm which He said He would do to His people.

Remember Me, O Yahweh

Rejoice in the Lord Always

4 Therefore my brothers, loved and ^(A)longed for, my joy and crown, in this way ^(B)stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

² I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to ^(C)think the same way in the Lord. ³ Indeed, I ask you also, genuine companion, help these women who have contended together alongside of me in the gospel, with also Clement and the rest of my ^(D)fellow workers, whose ^(E)names are in the book of life.

^4 (F)Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. ^(G)The Lord is ^[a]near. ^6 (H)Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by ^(I)prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And ^(J)the peace of God, which surpasses all ^[b]comprehension, will ^(K)guard your hearts and your ^(L)minds in ^(M)Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers, ^(N)whatever is true, whatever is dignified, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is ^[c]lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, consider these things. ⁹ The things you have learned and received and heard and seen ^(O)in me, practice these things, and ^(P)the God of peace will be with you.

Parable of the Wedding Feast

22 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, ² “^(A)The kingdom of heaven ^[a]may be compared to ^[b]a king who ^[c]gave a ^(B)wedding feast for his son. ³ And he ^(C)sent out his slaves to call those who had been called to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. ⁴ Again he ^(D)sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been called, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ ⁵ But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own ^[d]farm, another to his business, ⁶ and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. ⁷ But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. ⁸ Then he *said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were called were not worthy. ⁹ Go therefore to ^(E)the main highways, and as many as you find there, call to the wedding feast.’ ¹⁰ And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with ^[e]dinner guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw ^(F)a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, ¹² and he *said to him, ‘^(G)Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into ^(H)the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are ^[f](I)called, but few are ^(J)chosen.”