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.
12 King David was told, “Adonai has blessed the house of ‘Oved-Edom and everyone who belongs to him, thanks to the ark of God.” So David went and joyously brought the ark of God up from the house of ‘Oved-Edom into the City of David. 13 When those bearing the ark of Adonai had gone only six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened sheep. 14 Then David danced and spun around with abandon before Adonai, wearing a linen ritual vest. 15 So David and all the house of Isra’el brought up the ark of Adonai with shouting and the sound of the shofar. 16 As the ark of Adonai entered the City of David, Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul, watching from the window, saw King David leaping and spinning before Adonai; and she was filled with contempt for him.
17 They brought the ark of Adonai in and put it in its place inside the tent that David had set up for it. David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Adonai. 18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Adonai-Tzva’ot. 19 Then he distributed to all the people of Isra’el, to everyone there, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a raisin cake, after which the people all left for their homes.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father”?[a]
Also, God never said of any angel,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son.”[b]
6 And again, when God brings his Firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”[c]
7 Indeed, when speaking of angels, he says,
“. . . who makes his angels winds
and his servants fiery flames”;[d]
8 but to the Son, he says,
“Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever;
you rule your Kingdom with a scepter of equity;
9 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you
with the oil of joy in preference to your companions”;[e]
10 and,
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth;
heaven is the work of your hands.
11 They will vanish, but you will remain;
like clothing, they will all grow old;
12 and you will fold them up like a coat.
Yes, they will be changed like clothing,
but you remain the same,
your years will never end.”[f]
13 Moreover, to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?[g]
14 Aren’t they all merely spirits who serve, sent out to help those whom God will deliver?
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.