Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
144 By David. Blessed [is] Jehovah my rock, who is teaching My hands for war, my fingers for battle.
2 My kind one, and my bulwark, My tower, and my deliverer, My shield, and in whom I have trusted, Who is subduing my people under me!
3 Jehovah, what [is] man that Thou knowest him? Son of man, that Thou esteemest him?
4 Man to vanity hath been like, His days [are] as a shadow passing by.
5 Jehovah, incline Thy heavens and come down, Strike against mountains, and they smoke.
6 Send forth lightning, and scatter them, Send forth Thine arrows, and trouble them,
7 Send forth Thy hand from on high, Free me, and deliver me from many waters, From the hand of sons of a stranger,
8 Because their mouth hath spoken vanity, And their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood.
9 O God, a new song I sing to Thee, On a psaltery of ten strings I sing praise to Thee.
10 Who is giving deliverance to kings, Who is freeing David His servant from the sword of evil.
11 Free me, and deliver me From the hand of sons of a stranger, Because their mouth hath spoken vanity, And their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood,
12 Because our sons [are] as plants, Becoming great in their youth, Our daughters as hewn stones, Polished -- the likeness of a palace,
13 Our garners [are] full, bringing out from kind to kind, Our flocks are bringing forth thousands, Ten thousands in our out-places,
14 Our oxen are carrying, there is no breach, And there is no outgoing, And there is no crying in our broad places.
15 O the happiness of the people that is thus, O the happiness of the people whose God [is] Jehovah!
10 Thy mother [is] as a vine in thy blood by waters planted, Fruitful and full of boughs it hath been, Because of many waters.
11 And it hath strong rods for sceptres of rulers, And high is its stature above thick branches, And it appeareth in its height In the multitude of its thin shoots.
12 And it is plucked up in fury, To the earth it hath been cast, And the east wind hath dried up its fruit, Broken and withered hath been the rod of its strength, Fire hath consumed it.
13 And now -- it is planted in a wilderness, In a land dry and thirsty.
14 And go forth doth fire from a rod of its boughs, Its fruit it hath devoured, And it hath no rod of strength -- a sceptre to rule, Lamentation it [is] -- and it is for a lamentation!'
4 to whom coming -- a living stone -- by men, indeed, having been disapproved of, but with God choice, precious,
5 and ye yourselves, as living stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore, also, it is contained in the Writing: `Lo, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, choice, precious, and he who is believing on him may not be put to shame;'
7 to you, then, who are believing [is] the preciousness; and to the unbelieving, a stone that the builders disapproved of, this one did become for the head of a corner,
8 and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence -- who are stumbling at the word, being unbelieving, -- to which also they were set;
9 and ye [are] a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired, that the excellences ye may shew forth of Him who out of darkness did call you to His wondrous light;
10 who [were] once not a people, and [are] now the people of God; who had not found kindness, and now have found kindness.