Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked.
A [a]Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord [b]concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
7 O Lord my God, (A)in You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and (B)deliver me,
2 Or he will tear [c]my soul (C)like a lion,
[d]Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is (D)injustice in my hands,
4 If I have (E)rewarded evil to [e]my friend,
Or have (F)plundered [f]him who without cause was my adversary,
5 Let the enemy pursue [g]my soul and overtake [h]it;
And let him trample my life down to the ground
And lay my glory in the dust. [i]Selah.
6 (G)Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
(H)Lift up Yourself against (I)the rage of my adversaries,
And (J)arouse Yourself [j]for me; You have appointed judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the (K)peoples encompass You,
And over [k]them return on high.
8 The Lord (L)judges the peoples;
[l](M)Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
9 O let (N)the evil of the wicked come to an end, but (O)establish the righteous;
For the righteous God (P)tries the hearts and [m]minds.
10 My (Q)shield is [n]with God,
Who (R)saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a (S)righteous judge,
And a God who has (T)indignation every day.
12 If [o]a man (U)does not repent, He will (V)sharpen His sword;
He has (W)bent His bow and [p]made it ready.
13 He has also prepared [q]for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His (X)arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travails with wickedness,
And he (Y)conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has (Z)fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His (AA)mischief will return upon his own head,
And his (AB)violence will descend upon [r]his own pate.
9 Proclaim on the citadels in (A)Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Assemble yourselves on the (B)mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the (C)oppressions in her midst. 10 But they (D)do not know how to do what is right,” declares the Lord, “these who (E)hoard up [a]violence and devastation in their citadels.”
11 Therefore, thus says the Lord God,
“An (F)enemy, even one surrounding the land,
Will pull down your [b]strength from you
And your (G)citadels will be looted.”
12 Thus says the Lord,
“Just as the shepherd [c](H)snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,
So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be [d]snatched away—
With the (I)corner of a bed and the [e](J)cover of a couch!
13 “Hear and (K)testify against the house of Jacob,”
Declares the Lord God, the God of hosts.
14 “For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions,
I will also punish the altars of (L)Bethel;
The horns of the altar will be cut off
And they will fall to the ground.
15 “I will also smite the [f](M)winter house together with the (N)summer house;
The houses of [g](O)ivory will also perish
And the (P)great houses will come to an end,”
Declares the Lord.
“Yet You Have Not Returned to Me”
4 Hear this word, you cows of (Q)Bashan who are on the (R)mountain of Samaria,
Who (S)oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
Who say to [h]your husbands, “Bring now, that we may (T)drink!”
2 The Lord [i]God has (U)sworn by His (V)holiness,
“Behold, the days are coming upon you
When [j]they will take you away with (W)meat hooks,
And the last of you with (X)fish hooks.
3 “You will (Y)go out through breaches in the walls,
Each one straight before her,
And you [k]will be cast to Harmon,” declares the Lord.
4 “Enter Bethel and transgress;
In Gilgal multiply transgression!
(Z)Bring your sacrifices every morning,
Your tithes every three days.
5 “[l]Offer a (AA)thank offering also from that which is leavened,
And proclaim (AB)freewill offerings, make them known.
For so you (AC)love to do, you sons of Israel,”
Declares the Lord God.
The Sin of Partiality
2 (A)My brethren, (B)do not hold your faith in our (C)glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of (D)personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your [a]assembly with a gold ring and dressed in [b](E)fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in (F)dirty clothes, 3 and you [c]pay special attention to the one who is wearing the (G)fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges (H)with evil [d]motives? 5 Listen, (I)my beloved brethren: did not (J)God choose the poor [e]of this world to be (K)rich in faith and (L)heirs of the kingdom which He (M)promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and [f]personally (N)drag you into [g]court? 7 (O)Do they not blaspheme the fair name [h]by which you have been called?
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.