Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 8

To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute, or [possibly] to a particular Hittite tune. A Psalm of David.

¹ O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens.

² Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that You might silence the enemy and the avenger.^(A)

³ When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established,

⁴ What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?

⁵ Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

⁶ You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet:^(B)

⁷ All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field,

⁸ The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

⁹ O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth!

4 Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, and pay attention in order to gain and to know intelligent discernment, comprehension, and interpretation [of spiritual matters].

² For I give you good doctrine [what is to be received]; do not forsake my teaching.

³ When I [Solomon] was a son with my father [David], tender and the only son in the sight of my mother [Bathsheba],

⁴ He taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live.^(A)

⁵ Get skillful and godly Wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth.

⁶ Forsake not [Wisdom], and she will keep, defend, and protect you; love her, and she will guard you.

⁷ The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation).^(B)

⁸ Prize Wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her.

⁹ She shall give to your head a wreath of gracefulness; a crown of beauty and glory will she deliver to you.

⁴¹ Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year to the Passover Feast.^(A)

⁴² And when He was twelve years [old], they went up, as was their custom.

⁴³ And when the Feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Now His parents did not know this,

⁴⁴ But, supposing Him to be in the caravan, they traveled on a day’s journey; and [then] they sought Him [diligently, looking up and down for Him] among their kinsfolk and acquaintances.

⁴⁵ And when they failed to find Him, they went back to Jerusalem, looking for Him [up and down] all the way.

⁴⁶ After three days they found Him [came upon Him] in the ^[a][court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

⁴⁷ And all who heard Him were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and understanding and His replies.

⁴⁸ And when they [Joseph and Mary] saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, Child, why have You treated us like this? Here Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You [distressed and tormented].

⁴⁹ And He said to them, How is it that you had to look for Me? Did you not see and know that it is necessary [as a duty] for Me ^[b]to be in My Father’s house and [occupied] about My Father’s business?

⁵⁰ But they did not comprehend what He was saying to them.

⁵¹ And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was [habitually] obedient to them; and his mother kept and closely and persistently guarded all these things in her heart.

⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man.