Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

^4-5 O Israel, says the Lord, why did your fathers desert me? What sin did they find in me that turned them away and changed them into fools who worship idols? ⁶ They ignore the fact that it was I, the Lord, who brought them safely out of Egypt and led them through the barren wilderness, a land of deserts and rocks, of drought and death, where no one lives or even travels. ⁷ And I brought them into a fruitful land, to eat of its bounty and goodness, but they made it into a land of sin and corruption and turned my inheritance into an evil thing. ⁸ Even their priests cared nothing for the Lord, and their judges ignored me; their rulers turned against me, and their prophets worshiped Baal and wasted their time on nonsense.

⁹ But I will not give you up—I will plead for you to return to me and will keep on pleading; yes, even with your children’s children in the years to come!

^10-11 Look around you and see if you can find another nation anywhere that has traded in its old gods for new ones—even though their gods are nothing. Send to the west to the island of Cyprus; send to the east to the deserts of Kedar. See if anyone there has ever heard so strange a thing as this. And yet my people have given up their glorious God for silly idols! ¹² The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay. ¹³ For my people have done two evil things: They have forsaken me, the Fountain of living waters; and they have built for themselves broken cisterns that can’t hold water!

81 The Lord makes us strong! Sing praises! Sing to Israel’s God!

¹⁰ For it was I, Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Only test me!^[a] Open your mouth wide and see if I won’t fill it. You will receive every blessing you can use!

¹¹ “But no, my people won’t listen. Israel doesn’t want me around. ¹² So I am letting them go their blind and stubborn way, living according to their own desires.

¹³ “But oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! ¹⁴ How quickly then I would subdue her enemies! How soon my hands would be upon her foes! ¹⁵ Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him; their desolation would last forever. ¹⁶ But he would feed you with the choicest foods. He would satisfy you with honey for the taking.”^[b]

13 Continue to love each other with true brotherly love. ² Don’t forget to be kind to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! ³ Don’t forget about those in jail. Suffer with them as though you were there yourself. Share the sorrow of those being mistreated, for you know what they are going through.

⁴ Honor your marriage and its vows, and be pure; for God will surely punish all those who are immoral or commit adultery.

⁵ Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.” ⁶ That is why we can say without any doubt or fear, “The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.”

⁷ Remember your leaders who have taught you the Word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and try to trust the Lord as they do.

⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

¹⁵ With Jesus’ help we will continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of his name. ¹⁶ Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to him.

14 ^1-2 One Sabbath as he was in the home of a member of the Jewish Council, the Pharisees were watching him like hawks to see if he would heal a man who was present who was suffering from dropsy.

⁷ When he noticed that all who came to the dinner were trying to sit near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: ⁸ “If you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t always head for the best seat. For if someone more respected than you shows up, ⁹ the host will bring him over to where you are sitting and say, ‘Let this man sit here instead.’ And you, embarrassed, will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

¹⁰ “Do this instead—start at the foot; and when your host sees you he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place than this for you!’ Thus you will be honored in front of all the other guests. ¹¹ For everyone who tries to honor himself shall be humbled; and he who humbles himself shall be honored.” ¹² Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a dinner,” he said, “don’t invite friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors! For they will return the invitation. ¹³ Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴ Then at the resurrection of the godly, God will reward you for inviting those who can’t repay you.”