Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

³ God, I remembered you, and I groaned.
    I thought about you, and I became weak.
⁴ You kept me from going to sleep.
    I was so troubled I couldn’t speak.
⁵ I thought about days gone by.
    I thought about the years of long ago.
⁶ I remembered how I used to sing praise to you in the night.
    I thought about it, and here is what I asked myself.

⁷ “Will the Lord turn away from us forever?
    Won’t he ever show us his kindness again?
⁸ Has his faithful love disappeared forever?
    Has his promise failed for all time?
⁹ Has God forgotten to help us?
    Has he held back his tender love because he was angry?”

¹⁰ Then I thought, “Here is what gives me hope.
    For many years the Most High God showed how powerful he is.
¹¹ Lord, I will remember what you did.
    Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
¹² I will spend time thinking about everything you have done.
    I will consider all your mighty acts.”

¹³ God, everything you do is holy.
    What god is as great as our God?
¹⁴ You are the God who does miracles.
    You show your power among the nations.
¹⁵ With your mighty arm you set your people free.
    You set the children of Jacob and Joseph free.

¹⁶ God, the water of the Red Sea saw you.
    It saw you and boiled up.
    The deepest waters were stirred up.
¹⁷ The clouds poured down rain.
    The skies rumbled with thunder.
    Lightning flashed back and forth like arrows.
¹⁸ Your thunder was heard in the windstorm.
    Your lightning lit up the world.
    The earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹ Your path led through the Red Sea.
    You walked through the mighty waters.
    But your footprints were not seen.

²⁰ You led your people like a flock.
    You led them by the hands of Moses and Aaron.

⁸ “If I were you, I’d make my appeal to God.
    I’d bring my case to be judged by him.
⁹ He does wonderful things that can’t be understood.
    He does miracles that can’t even be counted.
¹⁰ He sends rain on the earth.
    He sends water on the countryside.
¹¹ He lifts up people who are lowly in spirit.
    He lifts up those who are sad.
    He keeps them safe.
¹² He stops the evil plans of those who are clever.
    The work of their hands doesn’t succeed.
¹³ Some people think they are so wise.
    But God catches them in their own tricks.
    He sweeps away the evil plans of sinful people.
¹⁴ Darkness covers them in the daytime.
    At noon they feel their way around as if it were night.
¹⁵ God saves needy people from the cutting words of their enemies.
    He saves them from their power.
¹⁶ So poor people have hope.
    And God shuts the mouths of those who don’t treat others fairly.

¹⁷ “Blessed is the person God corrects.
    So don’t hate the Mighty One’s training.
¹⁸ He wounds. But he also bandages up those he wounds.
    He harms. But his hands also heal those he harms.
¹⁹ From six troubles he will save you.
    Even if you are in trouble seven times, no harm will come to you.
²⁰ When there isn’t enough food, God will keep you from dying.
    When you go into battle, he won’t let a sword strike you down.
²¹ He will keep you safe from words that can hurt you.
    You won’t need to be afraid
    when everything is being destroyed.
²² You will laugh when things are being destroyed.
    You will enjoy life even when there isn’t enough food.
    You won’t be afraid of wild animals.
²³ You will make a covenant with the stones in the fields.
    They won’t keep your crops from growing.
    Even wild animals will be at peace with you.
²⁴ You will know that the tent you live in is secure.
    You will check out your property.
    You will see that nothing is missing.
²⁵ You can be sure you will have a lot of children.
    They will be as many as the blades of grass on the earth.
²⁶ You will go down to the grave
    while you are still very strong.
    You will be like a crop that is gathered at the right time.

²⁷ “We have carefully studied all these things.
    And they are true.
So pay attention to them.
    Apply them to yourself.”

“Suppose someone wants to love life
    and see good days.
Then they must keep their tongues from speaking evil.
    They must keep their lips from telling lies.
¹¹ They must turn away from evil and do good.
    They must look for peace and go after it.
¹² The Lord’s eyes look on godly people, and he blesses them.
    His ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord doesn’t bless those who do evil.” (Psalm 34:12–16)