Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 62

To the Chief Musician; according to Jeduthun [Ethan, the noted musician, founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of David.

¹ For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.

² He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be greatly moved.

³ How long will you set upon a man that you may slay him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

⁴ They only consult to cast him down from his height [to dishonor him]; they delight in lies. They bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

⁵ My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.

⁶ He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved.

⁷ With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!

⁸ Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

⁹ Men of low degree [in the social scale] are emptiness (futility, a breath) and men of high degree [in the same scale] are a lie and a delusion. In the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.

¹⁰ Trust not in and rely confidently not on extortion and oppression, and do not vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

¹¹ God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God.

¹² Also to You, O Lord, belong mercy and loving-kindness, for You render to every man according to his work.^(A)

² The Lord has also a controversy (a pleading contention) with Judah, and will punish Jacob by visiting upon him according to his ways; according to his doings will He recompense him.

³ He took his brother by the heel in [their mother’s] womb, and in the strength [of his manhood] he contended and had power with God.^(A)

⁴ Yes, he had power over the ^[a]Angel [of the Lord] and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor. He met Him in Bethel, and there [God] spoke with [him and through him with] us—^(B)

⁵ Even the Lord the God of hosts, the name of Him [Who spoke with Jacob] is the Lord.

⁶ Therefore return to your God! Hold fast to love and mercy, to righteousness and justice, and wait [expectantly] for your God continually!

⁷ Canaan [Israel—whose ideals have sunk to those of Canaan] is a trader; the balances of deceit are in his hand; he loves to oppress and defraud.

⁸ Ephraim has said, Ah, but I have become rich; I have gained for myself wealth. All my profits shall bring on me no iniquity that would be sin. [But all his profits will never offset nor suffice to expiate the guilt which he has incurred.]^(C)

⁹ But I [Who] am the Lord your God from [when you became a nation in] the land of Egypt will yet make you to dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed and solemn Feast [of Tabernacles].^(D)

¹⁰ I have also spoken to [you by] the prophets, and I have multiplied visions [for you] and [have appealed to you] through parables acted out by the prophets.

¹¹ If Gilead is given over to idolatry, they shall come to nought and be mere waste; if they [insult God by] sacrificing bullocks in Gilgal [on heathen altars], their altars shall be like heaps in the furrows of the fields.

¹² Jacob fled into the open country of Aram or Padan-aram, and [there] Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he herded sheep.^(E)

¹³ And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was [Israel] preserved.

¹⁴ Ephraim has provoked most bitter anger; therefore shall his blood [guilt] be left upon him, and his disgrace and reproach shall his Lord return upon him.

¹⁶ And behold, there came a man up to Him, saying, Teacher, what excellent and perfectly and essentially good deed must I do to possess eternal life?^(A)

¹⁷ And He said to him, Why do you ask Me about the perfectly and essentially good? There is only One Who is good [perfectly and essentially]—God. If you would enter into the Life, you must continually keep the commandments.

¹⁸ He said to Him, What ^[a]sort of commandments? [Or, which ones?] And Jesus answered, You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,^(B)

¹⁹ Honor your father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.^(C)

²⁰ The young man said, I have observed all these from my youth; what still do I lack?

²¹ Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, ^[b]have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, ^[c]be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me].

²² But when the young man heard this, he went away sad (grieved and in much distress), for he had great possessions.