“Our first scripture is the 82nd Psalm”

God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods”

“How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

 “I said, ‘You are “gods”: you are all sons of the Most-High.’ But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.”

Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

“Our second scripture comes from the 94th Psalm, verses 2-7”

Rise up, Judge of the earth;                                                                                            pay back to the proud what they deserve.

How long, Lord, will the wicked,                                                                       how long will the wicked be jubilant?

They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting.
They crush your people, Lord; they oppress your inheritance.

They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.
They say, “The Lord does not see [and] the God of Jacob takes no notice.”                                                                                    

“This is the Word of God for the people of God—Thanks be to God”