Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
To the Director: A Davidic Psalm.
Prayer and Thanksgiving
31 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge.
Let me never be ashamed.
Because you are righteous, deliver me!
2 Listen to me,
and deliver me quickly.
Become a rock of safety for me,
a fortified citadel to deliver me;
3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
for the sake of your name guide me and lead me.
4 Rescue me from the net that they concealed to trap me;
for you are my strength.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
for you have redeemed me,
Lord God of truth.
19 How great is your goodness
that you have reserved for those who fear you,
that you have set in place for those who take refuge in you,
in the presence of the children of men.
20 You will hide them in the secret place of your presence,
away from the conspiracies of men.
You will hide them in your tent,
away from their contentious tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord!
In a marvelous way he demonstrated his gracious love to me,
when I was in a city under siege.
22 When I said in my panic,
“I have been cut off in your sight,”
then you surely heard the voice of my prayer
in my plea to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all his godly ones!
The Lord preserves the faithful
and repays those who act with proud motives.
24 Be strong,
and let your heart be courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord.
Restoration after the Exile
30 “When all these things happen to you—both the blessings and the curses that I’ve presented to you—and you take them seriously[a] in all the nations where the Lord your God will deport you, 2 and when you—you and your descendants, that is—will have returned to him[b] and obeyed all the commands that I’m giving you today with all your heart and soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and will show compassion to you. He will gather you from among the nations[c] where he[d] had scattered you. 4 Even if the Lord had banished you to the ends of the heavens, the Lord your God will gather you from there 5 and he’ll[e] bring you to the land that your ancestors inherited. You’ll possess it, you’ll prosper, and you’ll greatly multiply more than your ancestors did.
6 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all Israelis truly belong to Israel, 7 and not all of Abraham’s descendants are his true descendants. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that descendants will be named for you.”[a] 8 That is, it is not merely the children born through natural descent who were regarded as God’s children, but it is the children born through the promise who were regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the language of the promise: “At this time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”[b] 10 Not only that, but Rebecca became pregnant by our ancestor Isaac. 11 Yet before their children[c] had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s plan of election might continue to operate 12 according to his calling and not by actions), Rebecca[d] was told, “The older child will serve the younger one.”[e] 13 So it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[f]
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