Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 77[a]
For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph.
77 I will cry out to God[b] and call for help.
I will cry out to God and he will pay attention[c] to me.
2 In my time of trouble I sought[d] the Lord.
I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night.[e]
I[f] refused to be comforted.
3 I said, “I will remember God while I groan;
I will think about him while my strength leaves me.”[g] (Selah)
4 You held my eyelids open;[h]
I was troubled and could not speak.[i]
5 I thought about the days of old,
about ancient times.[j]
6 I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;
I will think very carefully.”
I tried to make sense of what was happening.[k]
7 I asked,[l] “Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will he never again show me his favor?
8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?
Has his promise[m] failed forever?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has his anger stifled his compassion?” (Selah)
10 Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought
that the Most High[n] might become inactive.[o]
11 I will remember the works of the Lord.
Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago.[p]
12 I will think about all you have done;
I will reflect upon your deeds.”
13 [q] O God, your deeds are extraordinary.[r]
What god can compare to our great God?[s]
14 You are the God who does amazing things;
you have revealed your strength among the nations.
15 You delivered[t] your people by your strength[u]—
the children of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)
16 The waters[v] saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and trembled.[w]
Yes, the depths of the sea[x] shook with fear.[y]
17 The clouds poured down rain;[z]
the skies thundered.[aa]
Yes, your arrows[ab] flashed about.
18 Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind;
the lightning bolts lit up the world.
The earth trembled and shook.[ac]
19 You walked through the sea;[ad]
you passed through the surging waters,[ae]
but left no footprints.[af]
20 You led your people like a flock of sheep,
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Blessings for the One Who Seeks God[a]
8 “But[b] as for me,[c] I would seek[d] God,[e]
and to God[f] I would set forth my case.[g]
9 He does[h] great and unsearchable[i] things,
marvelous things without[j] number;[k]
10 he gives[l] rain on the earth,[m]
and sends[n] water on the fields;[o]
11 he sets[p] the lowly[q] on high,
that those who mourn[r] are raised[s] to safety.
12 He frustrates[t] the plans[u] of the crafty[v]
so that[w] their hands cannot accomplish
what they had planned.[x]
13 He catches[y] the wise in their own craftiness,[z]
and the counsel of the cunning[aa] is brought to a quick end.[ab]
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime,[ac]
and grope about[ad] in the noontime as if it were night.[ae]
15 So he saves[af] from the sword that comes from their mouth,[ag]
even[ah] the poor from the hand of the powerful.
16 Thus the poor have hope,
and iniquity[ai] shuts its mouth.[aj]
17 “Therefore,[ak] blessed[al] is the man whom God corrects,[am]
so do not despise the discipline[an] of the Almighty.[ao]
18 For[ap] he[aq] wounds,[ar] but he also bandages;
he strikes, but his hands also heal.
19 He will deliver you[as] from six calamities;
yes, in seven[at] no evil will touch you.
20 In time of famine[au] he will redeem you from death,
and in time of war from the power of the sword.[av]
21 You will be protected[aw] from malicious gossip,[ax]
and will not be afraid of the destruction[ay] when it comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine[az]
and need not[ba] be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 For you will have a pact with the stones[bb] of the field,
and the wild animals[bc] will be at peace[bd] with you.
24 And[be] you will know[bf] that your home[bg] will be secure,[bh]
and when you inspect[bi] your domains,
you will not be missing[bj] anything.
25 You will also know that your children[bk] will be numerous,
and your descendants[bl] like the grass of the earth.
26 You will come to your grave in a full age,[bm]
As stacks of grain are harvested in their season.
27 Look, we have investigated this, so it is true.
Hear it,[bn] and apply it for your own[bo] good.”[bp]
Suffering for Doing Good
8 Finally, all of you be harmonious,[a] sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble. 9 Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless[b] others[c] because you were called to inherit a blessing. 10 For
the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep[d] his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit.
11 And he must turn away from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are[e] upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the Lord’s face is against those who do evil.[f]
13 For[g] who is going to harm you if you are devoted to what is good? 14 But in fact, if you happen to suffer[h] for doing what is right,[i] you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them[j] or be shaken.[k] 15 But set Christ[l] apart[m] as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess.[n] 16 Yet do it with courtesy and respect,[o] keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you.[p] 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it,[q] than for doing evil.
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