Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord’s Power and Dominion.
97 (A)The Lord [a]reigns, may the (B)earth rejoice;
May the many [b](C)islands be joyful.
2 (D)Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
(E)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 (F)Fire goes before Him
And (G)burns up His enemies all around.
4 His (H)lightning lit up the world;
The earth saw it and (I)trembled.
5 The mountains (J)melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the (K)Lord of the whole earth.
6 The (L)heavens declare His righteousness,
And (M)all the peoples have seen His glory.
7 May all those be ashamed who serve (N)carved images,
Who boast in (O)idols;
[c](P)Worship Him, all you [d]gods.
8 Zion [e]heard this and (Q)was joyful,
And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced
Because of Your judgments, Lord.
9 For You are the Lord (R)Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far (S)above all [f]gods.
10 (T)Hate evil, you who love the Lord,
Who (U)watches over the souls of His godly ones;
He (V)saves them from the hand of the wicked.
11 (W)Light is sown like seed for the righteous,
And (X)gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Be (Y)joyful in the Lord, you righteous ones,
And (Z)praise [g]the mention of His holy name.
The Journey Resumed
33 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which (A)I swore to Abraham, (B)Isaac, and (C)Jacob, saying, ‘(D)To your [a]descendants I will give it.’ 2 And I will send (E)an angel before you and (F)I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 3 Go up to a land (G)flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are [b](H)an obstinate people, and (I)I might destroy you on the way.”
4 When the people heard this [c]sad word, (J)they went into mourning, and none of them put on his jewelry. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are [d](K)an obstinate people; if I [e]were to go up in your midst for just one moment, I would destroy you. So now, take off your [f]jewelry that I may know what I shall do to you.’” 6 So the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their jewelry, from Mount Horeb onward.
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: (A)forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I (B)press on toward the goal for the prize of the (C)upward call of God in (D)Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, all who are [a](E)mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a (F)different attitude, (G)God will reveal that to you as well; 16 however, let’s keep [b](H)living by that same standard to which we have attained.
17 Brothers and sisters, (I)join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the (J)pattern you have in us. 18 For (K)many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I (L)weep, that they are the enemies of (M)the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their [c](N)appetite, and whose (O)glory is in their shame, who (P)have their minds on earthly things. 20 For (Q)our [d]citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly (R)wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will (S)transform the body of our lowly condition into (T)conformity with [e]His (U)glorious body, (V)by the exertion of the power that He has even to (W)subject all things to Himself.
Think of Excellence
4 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, [f]whom I (X)long to see, my joy and crown, (Y)stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
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