Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Unjust Judgments Rebuked.
A Psalm of Asaph.
82 God takes His (A)stand in [a]His own congregation;
He (B)judges in the midst of the [b](C)rulers.
2 How long will you (D)judge unjustly
And (E)show partiality to the wicked? [c]Selah.
3 (F)Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
4 (G)Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They (H)do not know nor do they 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 fall like any (N)one of the princes.”
8 (O)Arise, O God, (P)judge the earth!
For it is You who (Q)possesses all the nations.
Judgment on Neighbor Nations
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (A)sheepherders from (B)Tekoa, which he [a]envisioned 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 He said,
“The (F)Lord roars from Zion
And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;
And the shepherds’ (G)pasture grounds mourn,
And the [b](H)summit of Carmel dries up.”
3 Thus says the Lord,
“For (I)three transgressions of (J)Damascus and for four
I will not [c]revoke 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 [d]valley of Aven,
And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram will go exiled to (M)Kir,”
Says the Lord.
6 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (N)Gaza and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they deported an entire population
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 [e]unleash My [f]power upon Ekron,
And the remnant of the (R)Philistines will perish,”
Says the Lord [g]God.
9 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (S)Tyre and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they delivered up an entire population to Edom
And did not remember the covenant of [h](T)brotherhood.
10 “So I will (U)send fire upon the wall of Tyre
And it will consume her citadels.”
11 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (V)Edom and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he (W)pursued his brother with the sword,
While he [i]stifled his compassion;
His anger also (X)tore continually,
And he maintained his fury forever.
12 “So I will send fire upon (Y)Teman
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
13 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of the sons of (Z)Ammon and for four
I will not revoke 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 [j](AD)war cries on the day of battle,
And a (AE)storm on the day of tempest.
15 “Their (AF)king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,” says the Lord.
Judgment on Judah and Israel
2 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (AG)Moab and for four
I will not [k]revoke 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 (AJ)tumult,
With [l]war cries and the sound of a trumpet.
3 “I will also cut off the [m](AK)judge from her midst
And slay all her (AL)princes with him,” says the Lord.
Faith and Works
14 (A)What use is it, (B)my brethren, 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, being by itself.
18 (F)But someone [d]may well 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 [e](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 [f]as a result of the (Q)works, faith was [g]perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “(R)And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned 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 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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