Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Book 5 (Psalms 107-150)
Psalm 107[a]
107 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures.[b]
2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out,[c]
those whom he delivered[d] from the power[e] of the enemy,
3 and gathered from foreign lands,[f]
from east and west,
from north and south.
4 They wandered through the wilderness, in a wasteland;[g]
they found no road to a city in which to live.
5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion.[h]
6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
7 He led them on a level road,[i]
that they might find a city in which to live.
33 He turned[a] streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
34 and a fruitful land into a barren place,[b]
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
35 As for his people,[c] he turned[d] a desert into a pool of water,
and a dry land into springs of water.
36 He allowed the hungry to settle there,
and they established a city in which to live.
37 They cultivated[e] fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit.[f]
15 Then Rahab[a] let them down by a rope[b] through the window. (Her[c] house was built as part of the city wall; she lived in the wall.)[d] 16 She told them, “Head[e] to the hill country, so the ones chasing you don’t find you.[f] Hide from them there for three days, long enough for those chasing you[g] to return. Then you can be on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We are not bound by this oath you made us swear unless the following conditions are met:[h] 18 When we invade the land,[i] tie this red rope[j] in the window through which you let us down, and gather together in your house your father, mother, brothers, and all who live in your father’s house.[k] 19 Anyone who leaves your house will be responsible for his own death—we are innocent in that case![l] But if anyone with you in the house is harmed, we will be responsible.[m] 20 If you should report what we’ve been up to,[n] we are not bound by this oath you made us swear.” 21 She said, “I agree to these conditions.”[o] She sent them on their way[p] and then tied the red rope in the window. 22 They went[q] to the hill country and stayed there for three days, long enough for those chasing them[r] to return. Their pursuers[s] looked all along the way but did not find them.[t] 23 Then the two men returned—they came down from the hills, crossed the river,[u] came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered. 24 They told Joshua, “Surely the Lord is handing over all the land to us![v] All who live in the land are cringing before us!”[w]
13 “But woe to you, experts in the law[a] and you Pharisees, hypocrites![b] You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven![c] For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.[d]
15 “Woe to you, experts in the law[e] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert,[f] and when you get one,[g] you make him twice as much a child of hell[h] as yourselves!
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing.[i] But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing.[j] But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, experts in the law[k] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth[l] of mint, dill, and cumin,[m] yet you neglect what is more important in the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You[n] should have done these things without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel![o]
25 “Woe to you, experts in the law[p] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,[q] so that the outside may become clean too!
27 “Woe to you, experts in the law[r] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs[s] that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
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