Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.
A Psalm of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord, (A)my rock,
Who (B)trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
2 My lovingkindness and (C)my fortress,
My (D)stronghold and my deliverer,
My (E)shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who (F)subdues [a]my people under me.
3 O Lord, (G)what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You think of him?
4 (H)Man is like a mere breath;
His (I)days are like a passing shadow.
5 (J)Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and (K)come down;
(L)Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6 Flash forth (M)lightning and scatter them;
Send out Your (N)arrows and confuse them.
7 Stretch forth Your hand (O)from on high;
Rescue me and (P)deliver me out of great waters,
Out of the hand of (Q)aliens
8 Whose mouths (R)speak deceit,
And whose (S)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a (T)new song to You, O God;
Upon a (U)harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who (V)gives salvation to kings,
Who (W)rescues David His servant from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of (X)aliens,
Whose mouth (Y)speaks deceit
And whose (Z)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 Let our sons in their youth be as (AA)grown-up plants,
And our daughters as (AB)corner pillars [b]fashioned as for a palace;
13 Let our (AC)garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce,
And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our [c]fields;
14 Let our (AD)cattle [d]bear
Without [e](AE)mishap and without [f](AF)loss,
Let there be no (AG)outcry in our streets!
15 How blessed are the people who are so situated;
How (AH)blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
10 ‘Your mother was (A)like a vine in your [a]vineyard,
Planted by the waters;
It was fruitful and full of branches
Because of abundant waters.
11 ‘And it had [b](B)strong branches fit for scepters of rulers,
And its (C)height was raised above the clouds
So that it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches.
12 ‘But it was (D)plucked up in fury;
It was (E)cast down to the ground;
And the (F)east wind dried up its fruit.
Its [c](G)strong branch [d]was torn off
So that [e]it withered;
The fire consumed it.
13 ‘And now it is planted in the (H)wilderness,
In a dry and thirsty land.
14 ‘And (I)fire has gone out from its branch;
It has consumed its shoots and fruit,
So that there is not in it a [f]strong branch,
A scepter to rule.’”
This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.
As Living Stones
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been (A)rejected by men, but is [a]choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 (B)you also, as living stones, [b]are being built up as a (C)spiritual house for a holy (D)priesthood, to (E)offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in [c]Scripture:
“(F)Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a (G)precious corner stone,
And he who believes in [d]Him will not be [e]disappointed.”
7 (H)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
8 and,
“(K)A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;
(L)for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, (M)and to this doom they were also appointed.
9 But you are (N)a chosen race, a royal (O)priesthood, a (P)holy nation, (Q)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you (R)out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 (S)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.