Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Book Five
Psalm 107
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary,
3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the [Red] Sea in the south.
33 He turns rivers into a wilderness, water springs into a thirsty ground,(A)
34 A fruitful land into a barren, salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.(B)
35 He turns a wilderness into a pool of water and a dry ground into water springs;(C)
36 And there He makes the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation,
37 And sow fields, and plant vineyards which yield fruits of increase.
38 He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly, and allows not their cattle to decrease.
39 When they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 He pours contempt upon princes and causes them to wander in waste places where there is no road.
41 Yet He raises the poor and needy from affliction and makes their families like a flock.
42 The upright shall see it and be glad, but all iniquity shall shut its mouth.
43 Whoso is wise [if there be any truly wise] will observe and heed these things; and they will diligently consider the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord.
55 Wait and listen, everyone who is thirsty! Come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Yes, come, buy [priceless, spiritual] wine and milk without money and without price [simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing].(A)
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your earnings for what does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness [the profuseness of spiritual joy].(B)
3 Incline your ear [submit and consent to the divine will] and come to Me; hear, and your soul will revive; and I will make an everlasting covenant or league with you, even the sure mercy (kindness, goodwill, and compassion) promised to David.(C)
4 Behold, I have appointed him (Him) [David, as a representative of the Messiah, or the Messiah Himself] to be a witness [one (One) who shall testify of salvation] to the nations, a prince (Prince) and commander (Commander) to the peoples.
5 Behold, you [a][Israel] shall call nations that you know not, and nations that do not know you shall run to you because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you.
6 Seek, inquire for, and require the Lord while He may be found [claiming Him by necessity and by right]; call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have love, pity, and mercy for him, and to our God, for He will multiply to him His abundant pardon.
8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
8 In those days when [again] an immense crowd had gathered and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and told them,
2 I have pity and sympathy for the people and My heart goes out to them, for they have been with Me now three days and have nothing [left] to eat;
3 And if I send them away to their homes hungry, they will be feeble through exhaustion and faint along the road; and some of them have come a long way.
4 And His disciples replied to Him, How can anyone fill and satisfy [these people] with loaves of bread here in [this] desolate and uninhabited region?
5 And He asked them, How many loaves have you? They said, Seven.
6 And He commanded the multitude to recline upon the ground, and He [then] took the seven loaves [of bread] and, having given thanks, He broke them and kept on giving them to His disciples to put before [the people], and they placed them before the crowd.
7 And they had a few small fish; and when He had [a]praised God and given thanks and asked Him to bless them [to their use], He ordered that these also should be set before [them].
8 And they ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven [[b]large provision] baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
9 And there were about 4,000 people. And He dismissed them,
10 And at once He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha (or Magdala).
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