Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 72
A Prayer for the King
Solomonic.(A)
1 God, give Your justice to the king
and Your righteousness to the king’s son.(B)
2 He will judge Your people with righteousness
and Your afflicted ones with justice.(C)
3 May the mountains bring prosperity[a] to the people
and the hills, righteousness.(D)
4 May he vindicate the afflicted among the people,
help the poor,
and crush the oppressor.(E)
5 May he continue[b] while the sun endures
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.(F)
6 May he be like rain that falls on the cut grass,
like spring showers that water the earth.(G)
7 May the righteous[c] flourish in his days
and prosperity[d] abound
until the moon is no more.(H)
8 May he rule from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.(I)
9 May desert tribes kneel before him
and his enemies lick the dust.(J)
10 May the kings of Tarshish
and the coasts and islands bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.(K)
11 Let all kings bow down to him,
all nations serve him.(L)
12 For he will rescue the poor who cry out
and the afflicted who have no helper.(M)
13 He will have pity on the poor and helpless
and save the lives of the poor.(N)
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are[e] precious[f] in his sight.(O)
15 May he live long!
May gold from Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be offered for him continually,
and may he be blessed all day long.(P)
16 May there be plenty of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains.
May its crops be like Lebanon.
May people flourish in the cities
like the grass of the field.(Q)
17 May his name endure forever;
as long as the sun shines,
may his fame increase.
May all nations be blessed by him
and call him blessed.(R)
Balaam’s Fourth Oracle
15 Then he proclaimed his poem:
The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened;[a]
16 the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God
and has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:(A)
17 I see him,[b] but not now;
I perceive him,[c] but not near.
A star will come from Jacob,
and a scepter will arise from Israel.(B)
He will smash the forehead[d] of Moab
and strike down[e] all the Shethites.[f]
18 Edom will become a possession;
Seir(C) will become a possession of its enemies,
but Israel will be triumphant.
19 One who comes from Jacob will rule;
he will destroy the city’s survivors.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(A) and prophesied:(B)
68 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,(C)
because He has visited
and provided redemption for His people.(D)
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation[a] for us(E)
in the house of His servant David,(F)
70 just as He spoke by the mouth
of His holy prophets in ancient times;(G)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the clutches[b] of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our fathers(H)
and remembered His holy covenant(I)—
73 the oath that He swore to our father Abraham.(J)
He has given us the privilege,
74 since we have been rescued
from our enemies’ clutches,[c]
to serve Him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in His presence all our days.
76 And child, you will be called
a prophet of the Most High,(K)
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare His ways,(L)
77 to give His people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.(M)
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the Dawn from on high(N) will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,(O)
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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