Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God Stands in Judgment
A Psalm of Asaph.
82 God takes His (A)stand in the congregation of [a]God;
He (B)judges in the midst of [b](C)gods.
2 How long will you (D)judge unrighteously
And (E)show partiality to the wicked? [c]Selah.
3 (F)Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
Justify the afflicted and destitute.
4 (G)Protect the poor and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They (H)do not know and do not understand;
They (I)walk about in darkness;
All the (J)foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 [d]I (K)said, “You are gods,
And all of you are (L)sons of the Most High.
7 Nevertheless (M)you will die like men
And you will fall like any (N)one of the princes.”
8 (O)Arise, O God, (P)judge the earth!
For it is You who (Q)will inherit all the nations.
Amos’ Vision of Yahweh’s Fire
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (A)sheepherders from (B)Tekoa, which he beheld in visions concerning Israel in the days of (C)Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of (D)Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the (E)earthquake. 2 And he said,
“[a](F)Yahweh roars from Zion
And from Jerusalem He gives forth His voice;
And the shepherds’ (G)pasture grounds mourn,
And the [b](H)top of Carmel dries up.”
3 Thus says Yahweh,
“For (I)three transgressions of (J)Damascus and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron.
4 So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael,
And it will consume the citadels of (K)Ben-hadad.
5 I will also (L)break the gate bar of Damascus
And cut off the inhabitant from the [c]valley of Aven
And him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram will go into exile to (M)Kir,”
Says Yahweh.
6 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of (N)Gaza and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because they took away into exile the whole community of exiles
To (O)deliver it up to Edom.
7 So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza,
And it will consume her citadels.
8 I will also cut off the inhabitant from (P)Ashdod
And him who holds the scepter from (Q)Ashkelon;
I will even turn My hand against Ekron,
And the remnant of the (R)Philistines will perish,”
Says Lord Yahweh.
9 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of (S)Tyre and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because they delivered up the whole community of exiles to Edom
And did not remember the covenant of [d](T)brotherhood.
10 So I will (U)send fire upon the wall of Tyre,
And it will consume her citadels.”
11 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of (V)Edom and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because he (W)pursued his brother with the sword
While he corrupted his compassion;
And his anger also (X)tore continually,
And he kept his wrath forever.
12 So I will send fire upon (Y)Teman,
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
13 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of the sons of (Z)Ammon and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because they (AA)ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
In order to (AB)enlarge their borders.
14 So I will kindle a fire on the wall of (AC)Rabbah,
And it will consume her citadels
Amid a (AD)loud shout on the day of battle
And a (AE)storm on the day of tempest.
15 And their (AF)king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,”
Says Yahweh.
2 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of (AG)Moab and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because he (AH)burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
2 So I will send fire upon Moab,
And it will consume the citadels of (AI)Kerioth;
And Moab will die amid great (AJ)rumbling,
Amid a loud shout and the sound of a trumpet.
3 I will also cut off the [e](AK)judge from her midst
And kill all her (AL)princes with him,” says Yahweh.
Faith and Works
14 (A)What use is it, (B)my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can [a]that faith save him? 15 (C)If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “(D)Go in peace, [b]be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so (E)faith, if it has no works, is [c]dead by itself.
18 (F)But someone will say, “You have faith; and I have works. Show me your (G)faith without the works, and I will (H)show you my faith (I)by my works.” 19 You believe that [d](J)God is one. (K)You do well; (L)the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, (M)you foolish fellow, that (N)faith without works is useless? 21 (O)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that (P)faith was working with his works, and [e]as a result of the (Q)works, faith was [f]perfected. 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “(R)And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called (S)the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way, was not (T)Rahab the harlot also justified by works (U)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also (V)faith without works is dead.
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