Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Comfort in Trouble from Recalling God’s Mighty Deeds.
For the music director; [a]according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
77 My voice rises to God, and I will (A)cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will listen to me.
2 In the (B)day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
(C)In the night my (D)hand was stretched out and did not grow weary;
My soul (E)refused to be comforted.
3 When I remember God, then I am (F)restless;
When I (G)sigh, then (H)my spirit feels weak. Selah
4 You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I (I)cannot speak.
5 I have considered the (J)days of old,
The years of long ago.
6 I will remember my (K)song in the night;
I (L)will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit [b]ponders:
7 Will the Lord (M)reject forever?
And will He (N)never be favorable again?
8 Has His (O)favor ceased forever?
Has His [c](P)promise come to an end [d]forever?
9 Has God (Q)forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger [e]withdrawn His (R)compassion? Selah
10 Then I said, “(S)It is my [f]grief,
That the (T)right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I shall remember the (U)deeds of [g]the Lord;
I will certainly (V)remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will (W)meditate on all Your work,
And on Your deeds with thanksgiving.
13 Your way, God, is (X)holy;
(Y)What god is great like our God?
14 You are the (Z)God who works wonders;
You have (AA)made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 By Your [h]power You have (AB)redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and (AC)Joseph. Selah
16 The (AD)waters saw You, God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The ocean depths also trembled.
17 The (AE)clouds poured out water;
The skies [i](AF)sounded out;
Your (AG)arrows [j]flashed here and there.
18 The (AH)sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The (AI)lightning lit up the world;
The (AJ)earth trembled and shook.
19 Your (AK)way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints were not known.
20 You (AL)led Your people like a flock
By the hand of (AM)Moses and Aaron.
8 “But as for me, I would (A)seek God,
And I would make my plea before God,
9 Who (B)does great and unsearchable things,
[a]Wonders without number.
10 He (C)gives rain on the earth,
And sends water on the fields,
11 So that (D)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He (E)frustrates the schemes of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.
13 He (F)captures the wise by their own cleverness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
14 By day they (G)meet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.
15 But He saves from (H)the sword of their mouth,
And (I)the poor from the hand of the strong.
16 So the helpless has hope,
And (J)injustice has shut its mouth.
17 “Behold, (K)happy is the person whom God disciplines,
So do not reject the (L)discipline of [b]the Almighty.
18 For (M)He inflicts pain, and [c]gives relief;
He wounds, but His hands also heal.
19 In six troubles (N)He will save you;
Even in seven, (O)evil will not touch you.
20 In (P)famine He will redeem you from death,
And (Q)in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You will be (R)hidden [d]from the scourge of the tongue,
(S)And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.
22 You will (T)laugh at violence and hunger,
(U)And you will not be afraid of [e]wild animals.
23 For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And (V)the animals of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your (W)tent is secure,
For you will visit your home and [f]have nothing missing.
25 You will also know that your [g](X)descendants will be many,
And (Y)your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 You will (Z)come to the grave at a ripe age,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27 Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
8 [a]To sum up, (A)all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, [b](B)loving, (C)compassionate, and (D)humble; 9 (E)not returning evil for evil or (F)insult for insult, but giving a (G)blessing instead; for (H)you were called for the very purpose that you would (I)inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“(J)The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 (K)He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
12 (L)For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against evildoers.”
13 (M)And who is [c]there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should (N)suffer for the sake of righteousness, (O)you [d]are blessed. (P)And do not fear their [e]intimidation, and do not be in dread, 15 but [f]sanctify (Q)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready (R)to make a [g]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the (S)hope that is in you, but (T)with gentleness and (U)respect; 16 [h]and keep a (V)good conscience so that in the thing in which (W)you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For (X)it is better, (Y)if [i]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 18 For (Z)Christ also [j]suffered for sins (AA)once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might (AB)bring us to God, having been put to death (AC)in the flesh, but made alive (AD)in the [k]spirit;
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