saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt – we do not know what has happened to him!’

He is the one who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not based on our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

Help us, O God, our deliverer! For the sake of your glorious reputation, rescue us! Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation!

Join with us! We will all share equally in what we steal.”

and they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert? What in the world have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?

But this request displeased Samuel, for they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord.

The Beloved to Her Lover: Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside; let us spend the night in the villages.

“Ha! Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.”

The local inhabitants showed us extraordinary kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain and was cold.

And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

All this has happened to us, even though we have not rejected you or violated your covenant with us.

All of them respond to you, saying: ‘You too have become weak like us! You have become just like us!

Then they took some of the produce of the land and carried it back down to us. They also brought a report to us, saying, “The land that the Lord our God is about to give us is good.”

They told Joshua, “We will do everything you say. We will go wherever you send us.

So it happened that the Jews who were living near them came and warned us repeatedly about all the schemes they were plotting against us.

and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.

But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit, but deliver us today!”

It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope,