Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
89 (0) A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachi:
2 (1) I will sing about Adonai’s acts of grace forever,
with my mouth proclaim your faithfulness to all generations;
3 (2) because I said, “Grace is built to last forever;
in the heavens themselves you established your faithfulness.”
4 (3) You said, “I made a covenant with the one I chose,
I swore to my servant David,
19 (18) for our shield comes from Adonai —
our king is from the Holy One of Isra’el.
20 (19) There was a time when you spoke in a vision;
you declared to your loyal [prophets],
“I have given help to a warrior,
I have raised up someone chosen from the people.
21 (20) I have found David my servant
and anointed him with my holy oil.
22 (21) My hand will always be with him,
and my arm will give him strength.
23 (22) No enemy will outwit him,
no wicked man overcome him.
24 (23) I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
25 (24) My faithfulness and grace will be with him;
through my name his power will grow.
26 (25) I will put his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
6 Again David summoned all the picked troops of Isra’el, 30,000 men. 2 Then David, taking along the entire force he had with him then, set out for Ba‘alei-Y’hudah to bring up from there the ark of God, which bears the Name, the name of Adonai-Tzva’ot enthroned above the k’ruvim. 3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Avinadav on the hill, with ‘Uzah and Achyo, the sons of Avinadav, driving the new cart. 4 They led it from the house of Avinadav on the hill, with the ark of God; Achyo walked in front of the ark. 5 David and the whole house of Isra’el celebrated in the presence of Adonai with all kinds of musical instruments made of cypress-wood, including lyres, lutes, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.
6 When they arrived at Nakhon’s threshing-floor, the oxen stumbled; and ‘Uzah put out his hand to steady the ark of God. 7 But Adonai’s anger blazed up against ‘Uzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his offense, so that he died there by the ark of God. 8 It upset David that Adonai had broken out against ‘Uzah; that place has been called Peretz-‘Uzah [breaking-out of ‘Uzah] ever since. 9 David was frightened of Adonai that day; he asked, “How can the ark of Adonai come to me?” 10 So David would not bring the ark of Adonai into the City of David; rather, David took it over to the house of ‘Oved-Edom the Gitti. 11 The ark of Adonai stayed in the house of ‘Oved-Edom the Gitti for three months; and Adonai blessed ‘Oved-Edom and all his household.
1 In days gone by, God spoke in many and varied ways to the Fathers through the prophets. 2 But now, in the acharit-hayamim, he has spoken to us through his Son, to whom he has given ownership of everything and through whom he created the universe. 3 This Son is the radiance of the Sh’khinah, the very expression of God’s essence, upholding all that exists by his powerful word; and after he had, through himself, made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of HaG’dulah BaM’romim.[a]
4 So he has become much better than angels, and the name God has given him is superior to theirs.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.