Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 63
My Soul Thirsts for You
Heading
A psalm by David. When he was in the wilderness of Judah.[a]
Thirsting for God
1 God, you are my God. Eagerly I seek you.
My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you,
in a dry and dreary land without water.
2 Yes, in the sanctuary I have watched you
to see your power and your glory.
Joy Even in Adversity
3 Because your mercy is better than life,
my lips will worship you.
4 Yes, I will bless you as long as I live.
In your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied with rich food.[b]
My mouth will praise you with lips filled with songs.
6 Whenever I remember you on my bed,
throughout the watches of the night I meditate on you.
7 Because you are a help for me,
I sing for joy under the shade of your wings.
8 My soul clings to you.
Your right hand upholds me.
Destruction for the Defiant
9 But those who seek my life will go to destruction.
They will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the power of the sword.
They will become food for foxes.[c]
11 But the king will rejoice in God.
All who swear by him will praise him,
but the mouths of those speaking lies will be shut.
The Prophet’s Response
9 Proclaim this among the nations:
Consecrate yourselves for war!
Rouse the strong warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords,
and your pruning knives into spears.
Let the weakling say, “I am a strong warrior!”
11 Come quickly to help, all you nations from every side,
and assemble there.
Bring down your strong warriors, O Lord!
The Lord’s Promise
12 Let the nations be roused.
Let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will be seated to judge all the nations.
13 Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,
for the winepress is full and the vats overflow,
because the nations’ wickedness is so great!
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Decision!
For the Day of the Lord is near in the Valley of Decision.
15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars will stop shining.
16 The Lord will roar from Zion
and shout from Jerusalem.
The sky and the earth will tremble.
But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,
a stronghold for the people of Israel.
17 Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy mountain.
Jerusalem will be holy.
Foreigners will not pass through her again.
18 In that day the mountains will drip sweet wine,
and the hills will flow with milk.
All the stream beds of Judah will run with water.
A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house.
It will water the Valley of Acacias.
19 Egypt will be desolate.
Edom will be a desolate wilderness,
because of violence they committed against the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 Judah will be inhabited forever,
and Jerusalem through all generations.
21 I will pardon their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned.[a]
The Prophet’s Final Praise
The Lord dwells in Zion!
29 “Immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. And at that time all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 “Learn this lesson from the fig tree. When its branch has become tender and produces leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, know that he is near, right at the doors. 34 Amen I tell you: This generation[a] will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.