Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 10[a]
10 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you pay no attention during times of trouble?[b]
2 The wicked arrogantly chase the oppressed;[c]
the oppressed are trapped[d] by the schemes the wicked have dreamed up.[e]
3 Yes,[f] the wicked man[g] boasts because he gets what he wants;[h]
the one who robs others[i] curses[j] and[k] rejects the Lord.[l]
4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,
“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.”[m]
5 He is secure at all times.[n]
He has no regard for your commands;[o]
he disdains all his enemies.[p]
6 He says to himself,[q]
“I will never[r] be shaken,
because I experience no calamity.”[s]
7 His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words;[t]
his tongue injures and destroys.[u]
8 He waits in ambush near the villages;[v]
in hidden places he kills the innocent.
His eyes look for some unfortunate victim.[w]
9 He lies in ambush in a hidden place, like a lion in a thicket.[x]
He lies in ambush, waiting to catch[y] the oppressed;
he catches the oppressed[z] by pulling in his net.[aa]
10 His victims are crushed and beaten down;
they are trapped in his sturdy nets.[ab]
11 He says to himself,[ac]
“God overlooks it;
he does not pay attention;
he never notices.”[ad]
12 Rise up, Lord![ae]
O God, strike him down.[af]
Do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why does the wicked man reject God?[ag]
He says to himself,[ah] “You[ai] will not hold me accountable.”[aj]
14 You have taken notice,[ak]
for[al] you always see[am] one who inflicts pain and suffering.[an]
The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you;[ao]
you deliver[ap] the fatherless.[aq]
15 Break the arm[ar] of the wicked and evil man.
Hold him accountable for his wicked deeds,[as]
which he thought you would not discover.[at]
16 The Lord rules forever![au]
The nations are driven out of his land.[av]
17 Lord, you have heard[aw] the request[ax] of the oppressed;
you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer.[ay]
18 You defend[az] the fatherless and oppressed,[ba]
so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them.[bb]
16 “But as for you, Jeremiah,[a] do not pray for these people. Do not raise a cry of prayer[b] for them! Do not plead with me to save them,[c] because I will not listen to you. 17 Do you see[d] what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 Children are gathering firewood, fathers are building fires with it, and women are mixing dough to bake cakes to offer to the goddess they call the Queen of Heaven.[e] They are also pouring out drink offerings to other gods. They seem to do all this just[f] to trouble me. 19 But I am not really the one being troubled![g] says the Lord. Rather they are bringing trouble on themselves to their own shame![h] 20 So, the Sovereign Lord[i] says, my raging fury will be poured out on this land.[j] It will be poured out on human beings and animals, on trees and crops.[k] And it will burn like a fire that cannot be extinguished.
21 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,[l] says to the people of Judah:[m] ‘You might as well go ahead and add the meat of your burnt offerings to that of the other sacrifices and eat it, too![n] 22 Consider this:[o] When I spoke to your ancestors after I brought them out of Egypt, I did not merely give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 I also explicitly commanded them:[p] “Obey me. If you do, I[q] will be your God and you will be my people. Live exactly the way I tell you[r] and things will go well with you.” 24 But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They followed the stubborn inclinations of their own wicked hearts. They acted worse and worse instead of better.[s] 25 From the time your ancestors departed the land of Egypt until now,[t] I sent my servants the prophets to you again and again,[u] day after day.[v] 26 But your ancestors[w] did not listen to me nor pay attention to me. They became obstinate[x] and were more wicked than even their own forefathers.’”
To the Church in Philadelphia
7 “To[a] the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following:[b]
“This is the solemn pronouncement of[c] the Holy One, the True One, who holds the key of David, who opens doors[d] no one can shut, and shuts doors[e] no one can open: 8 ‘I know your deeds. (Look! I have put[f] in front of you an open door that no one can shut.)[g] I know[h] that you have little strength,[i] but[j] you have obeyed[k] my word and have not denied my name. 9 Listen![l] I am going to make those people from the synagogue[m] of Satan—who say they are Jews yet[n] are not, but are lying—Look, I will make[o] them come and bow down[p] at your feet and acknowledge[q] that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept[r] my admonition[s] to endure steadfastly,[t] I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away[u] your crown.[v] 12 The one who conquers[w] I will make[x] a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I[y] will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God),[z] and my new name as well. 13 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
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