Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
There Is a God Who Judges on Earth
For the choir director. [a]Al-tashheth. Of David. A [b]Mikhtam.
58 Do you indeed [c]speak righteousness, O [d]gods?
Do you (A)judge [e]with equity, O sons of men?
2 No, in heart you (B)work unrighteousness;
On earth you [f](C)prepare a path for the violence of your hands.
3 The wicked are estranged (D)from the womb;
These who speak falsehood (E)wander in error from [g]birth.
4 They have venom like the (F)venom of a serpent;
Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
5 So that it (G)does not hear the voice of [h](H)charmers,
Or a skillful caster of spells.
6 O God, (I)shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Yahweh.
7 Let them (J)flow away like water that runs off;
When he [i](K)aims his arrows, let them be as [j]headless shafts.
8 Let them be as a snail which [k]melts away as it goes along,
Like the (L)miscarriages of a woman which never behold the sun.
9 Before your (M)pots can feel the fire of thorns
He will (N)sweep them away with a whirlwind, the living and the burning alike.
23 “(A)How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;
I have not walked after the (B)Baals’?
Look at your way in the (C)valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel (D)entangling her ways,
24 A (E)wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her [a]heat who can turn her away?
All who seek her will not become weary;
In her month they will find her.
25 Keep your feet from being barefoot
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘(F)It is [b]hopeless!
No! For I have (G)loved strangers,
And after them I will walk.’
26 “As the (H)thief is shamed when he is found,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their princes,
And their priests and their prophets,
27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their (I)back to Me
And not their face;
But in the (J)time when their evil comes they will say,
‘Arise and save us.’
28 But where are your (K)gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can (L)save you
In the time when your evil comes;
For (M)according to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.
29 “Why do you contend with Me?
You have (N)all transgressed against Me,” declares Yahweh.
30 “(O)In vain I have struck your sons;
They received no discipline.
Your (P)sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
31 O generation, [c]behold the word of Yahweh.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel
Or a (Q)land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘(R)We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have (S)forgotten Me
Days without number.
33 How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even [d]the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
The (T)lifeblood of the innocent needy;
You did not find them (U)breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
35 Yet you said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will (V)enter into judgment with you
Because you (W)say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 Why do you (X)despise Him so much
In changing your way?
Also, (Y)you will be put to shame by Egypt
As you were put to shame by (Z)Assyria.
37 From this place also you will go out
With (AA)your hands on your head;
For Yahweh has rejected (AB)those in whom you trust,
And you will not succeed with them.”
7 Remember your (A)leaders, who spoke (B)the word of God to you; and considering the [a]result of their conduct, (C)imitate their faith. 8 (D)Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 (E)Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to (F)be strengthened by grace, not by (G)foods, (H)through which those who [b]were so occupied were not benefited. 10 We have an altar (I)from which those (J)who serve the tabernacle have no authority to eat. 11 For (K)the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, (L)that He might sanctify the people (M)through His own blood, suffered (N)outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, (O)bearing His reproach. 14 For here (P)we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking (Q)the one to come. 15 (R)Through Him then, let us continually offer up a (S)sacrifice of praise to God, that is, (T)the fruit of lips that confess His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and (U)sharing, for (V)with such sacrifices God is pleased.
17 (W)Obey your leaders and submit to them—for (X)they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they will do this with joy and not with groaning, for this would be unprofitable for you.
18 (Y)Pray for us, for we are convinced that we have a (Z)good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves well in all things. 19 And I urge you all the more to do this, (AA)so that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Benediction
20 Now (AB)the God of peace, who (AC)brought up from the dead the (AD)great Shepherd of the sheep [c]through (AE)the blood of the (AF)eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, 21 (AG)equip you in every good thing to do His will, by (AH)doing in us (AI)what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, (AJ)to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
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