Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 18[a]
For the music director, by the Lord’s servant David, who sang[b] to the Lord the words of this song when[c] the Lord rescued him from the power[d] of all his enemies, including Saul.[e]
18 He said:[f]
“I love[g] you, Lord, my source of strength![h]
2 The Lord is my high ridge,[i] my stronghold,[j] my deliverer.
My God is my rocky summit where[k] I take shelter,[l]
my shield, the horn that saves me,[m] and my refuge.[n]
3 I called[o] to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,[p]
and I was delivered from my enemies.
20 The Lord repaid[a] me for my godly deeds;[b]
he rewarded[c] my blameless behavior.[d]
21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands;[e]
I have not rebelled against my God.[f]
22 For I am aware of all his regulations,[g]
and I do not reject his rules.[h]
23 I was innocent before him,
and kept myself from sinning.[i]
24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds;[j]
he took notice of my blameless behavior.[k]
25 You prove to be loyal[l] to one who is faithful;[m]
you prove to be trustworthy[n] to one who is innocent.[o]
26 You prove to be reliable[p] to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive[q] to one who is perverse.[r]
27 For you deliver oppressed[s] people,
but you bring down those who have a proud look.[t]
28 Indeed,[u] you light my lamp, Lord.[v]
My God[w] illuminates the darkness around me.[x]
29 Indeed,[y] with your help[z] I can charge against[aa] an army;[ab]
by my God’s power[ac] I can jump over a wall.[ad]
30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner;[ae]
the Lord’s promise[af] is reliable.[ag]
He is a shield to all who take shelter[ah] in him.
31 Indeed,[ai] who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector[aj] besides our God?[ak]
32 The one true God[al] gives[am] me strength;[an]
he removes[ao] the obstacles in my way.[ap]
The Lord Will Judge Jerusalem
14 Therefore, listen to the Lord’s message,
you who mock,
you rulers of these people
who reside in Jerusalem.
15 For you say,
“We have made a treaty with death,
with Sheol[a] we have made an agreement.[b]
When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by[c]
it will not reach us.
For we have made a lie our refuge,
we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.”[d]
16 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord, says:
“Look, I am laying[e] a stone in Zion,
an approved[f] stone,
set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation.[g]
The one who maintains his faith will not panic.[h]
17 I will make justice the measuring line,
fairness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away the unreliable refuge,[i]
the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place.
18 Your treaty with death will be dissolved;[j]
your agreement[k] with Sheol will not last.[l]
When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by,[m]
you will be overrun by it.[n]
19 Whenever it sweeps by, it will overtake you;
indeed,[o] every morning it will sweep by,
it will come through during the day and the night.”[p]
When this announcement is understood,
it will cause nothing but terror.
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on,
and the blanket is too narrow to wrap around oneself.[q]
21 For the Lord will rise up, as he did at Mount Perazim;[r]
he will rouse himself, as he did in the Valley of Gibeon,[s]
to accomplish his work,
his peculiar work,
to perform his task,
his strange task.[t]
22 So now, do not mock,
or your chains will become heavier!
For I have heard a message about decreed destruction,
from the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies against the entire land.[u]
Jesus’ Anointing
6 Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,[a] 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar[b] of expensive perfumed oil,[c] and she poured it on his head as he was at the table.[d] 8 When[e] the disciples saw this, they became indignant and said, “Why this waste? 9 It[f] could have been sold at a high price and the money[g] given to the poor!” 10 When[h] Jesus learned of this, he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She[i] has done a good service for me. 11 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me![j] 12 When[k] she poured this oil on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth,[l] wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
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