Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 83[a]
A song. A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, do not remain silent;(A)
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,(B)
how your foes rear their heads.(C)
3 With cunning they conspire(D) against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.(E)
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy(F) them as a nation,(G)
so that Israel’s name is remembered(H) no more.”
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”(A)
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?(B) Who gives them sight or makes them blind?(C) Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go;(D) I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”(E)
13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”(F)
14 Then the Lord’s anger burned(G) against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet(H) you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;(I) I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth(J) and as if you were God to him.(K) 17 But take this staff(L) in your hand(M) so you can perform the signs(N) with it.”
Moses Returns to Egypt
18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.”
Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”
19 Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill(O) you are dead.(P)” 20 So Moses took his wife and sons,(Q) put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff(R) of God in his hand.
21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders(S) I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart(T) so that he will not let the people go.(U) 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,(V) 23 and I told you, “Let my son go,(W) so he may worship(X) me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”(Y)
24 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses[a] and was about to kill(Z) him. 25 But Zipporah(AA) took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin(AB) and touched Moses’ feet with it.[b] “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26 So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)
27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain(AC) of God and kissed(AD) him. 28 Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.
29 Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders(AE) of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs(AF) before the people, 31 and they believed.(AG) And when they heard that the Lord was concerned(AH) about them and had seen their misery,(AI) they bowed down and worshiped.(AJ)
To the Church in Sardis
3 “To the angel[a] of the church in Sardis(A) write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[b](B) of God and the seven stars.(C) I know your deeds;(D) you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.(E) 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.(F) But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief,(G) and you will not know at what time(H) I will come to you.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.(I) They will walk with me, dressed in white,(J) for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious(K) will, like them, be dressed in white.(L) I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life,(M) but will acknowledge that name before my Father(N) and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear(O) what the Spirit says to the churches.
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