Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am (A)in distress;
(B)my eye is wasted from grief;
my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
and (C)my bones waste away.
11 Because of all my adversaries I have become (D)a reproach,
especially to my (E)neighbours,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street (F)flee from me.
12 I have been (G)forgotten like one who is dead;
I have become like (H)a broken vessel.
13 For I (I)hear the whispering of many—
terror on every side!—
(J)as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.
14 But I (K)trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My (L)times are in your hand;
(M)rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 (N)Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
13 “Let me have silence, and I will speak,
and let come on me what may.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
and (A)put my life in my hand?
15 (B)Though he slay me, I will (C)hope in him;[a]
yet I will (D)argue my ways to his face.
16 This will be my salvation,
that the godless shall not come before him.
17 (E)Keep listening to my words,
and let my declaration be in your ears.
18 Behold, I have (F)prepared my case;
I know that I shall be in the right.
19 (G)Who is there who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.
21 For to me (A)to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 (B)I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is (C)to depart and (D)be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 (E)Convinced of this, (F)I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your (G)progress and (H)joy in the faith, 26 so that in me (I)you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
27 Only (J)let your manner of life be (K)worthy[a] of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you (L)that you are standing firm in one spirit, with (M)one mind (N)striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is (O)a clear sign to them of their destruction, but (P)of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For (Q)it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also (R)suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same (S)conflict that (T)you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.