Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 97[a]
Divine King and Universal Judge
1 The Lord is King;[b] let the earth exult;
let the distant isles rejoice.
2 [c]Clouds and darkness[d] surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire[e] precedes him,
consuming his enemies on every side.
4 His flashes of lightnwing illumine the world;
the earth sees this and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,[f]
and all the nations behold his glory.
7 All who worship images are put to shame,
those who boast of their worthless idols;
bow down before him, all you gods.[g]
8 Zion hears and rejoices,
and the cities[h] of Judah exult
because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
10 [i]Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
for he protects the souls of his faithful ones
and rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11 [j]Light dawns for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name.
Chapter 33
The Israelites Are Ordered To Depart. 1 The Lord said to Moses, “Get up and leave this place, you and the people whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, to go to the land that I have promised with an oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ 2 I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up in your midst, lest I destroy you along the way, for you are an obstinate people.”
4 The people heard this sad news and they mourned. No one put on his ornaments.
5 The Lord said to Moses, “Say this to the children of Israel, ‘You are an obstinate people. If I were to go up with you for a single moment, I would surely destroy you. Now, take off your ornaments so that I may know what to do with you.’ ”
6 The children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
13 Brethren, I do not claim to have taken hold of it as yet. Only this one thing: forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the finishing line to win the heavenly prize to which God has called me in Christ Jesus.
15 Those of us who are mature should adopt this same attitude. If on any matter you have a different point of view, this too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us hold fast in our conduct to what we have already attained.
17 Our Citizenship Is in Heaven.[a] Brethren, join in imitating me,[b] and take note of those who conduct themselves in accord with the model you have in us. 18 As I have told you before, and now remind you with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction. Their god is their stomach. Their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven,[c] and from there we await our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be conformed to his glorified body by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.
Chapter 4
1 Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and for whom I long, my joy and crown: stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
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