Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 3
Confidence in Troubled Times
A psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom.(A)
1 Lord, how my foes increase!
There are many who attack me.(B)
2 Many say about me,
“There is no help for him in God.”(C)Selah
3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me,(D)
my glory,(E) and the one who lifts up my head.(F)
4 I cry aloud to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.(G)Selah
5 Moreover, wine[a] betrays;
an arrogant man is never at rest.[b]
He enlarges his appetite like Sheol,
and like Death he is never satisfied.(A)
He gathers all the nations to himself;(B)
he collects all the peoples for himself.
The Five Woe Oracles
6 Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him,(C)
with mockery and riddles about him?
They will say,
“Woe to him who amasses what is not his—
how much longer?(D)—
and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.”(E)
7 Won’t your creditors suddenly arise,
and those who disturb you wake up?
Then you will become spoil for them.(F)
8 Since you have plundered many nations,(G)
all the peoples who remain will plunder you(H)—
because of human bloodshed
and violence(I) against lands, cities,
and all who live in them.(J)
9 Woe to him who dishonestly makes
wealth for his house[c](K)
to place his nest on high,
to escape the grasp of disaster!(L)
10 You have planned shame for your house
by wiping out many peoples
and sinning against your own self.
11 For the stones will cry out(M) from the wall,
and the rafters will answer them
from the woodwork.
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,(A) and everyone who loves the Father[a] also loves the one born of him. 2 This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey[b] his commands. 3 For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden,(B) 4 because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.
The Certainty of God’s Testimony
5 Who is the one who conquers the world(C) but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?(D)
13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name(A) of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Effective Prayer
14 This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask(B) anything according to his will, he hears us.(C) 15 And if we know that he hears whatever we ask,(D) we know that we have what we have asked of him.(E)
16 If anyone sees a fellow believer[a] committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, he should ask, and God will give life to him—to those who commit sin that doesn’t lead to death. There is sin[b] that leads to death. I am not saying he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that doesn’t lead to death.
Conclusion
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God keeps him,[c](F) and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come(G) and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one.[d] We are in the true one—that is, in his Son, Jesus Christ.(H) He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
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