Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

² The Lord is my rock and my place of safety. He is the God who saves me.
    My God is my rock. I go to him for safety.
    He is like a shield to me. He’s the power that saves me. He’s my place of safety.
³ I called out to the Lord. He is worthy of praise.
    He saved me from my enemies.

²⁰ The Lord has been good to me because I do what is right.
    He has rewarded me because I lead a pure life.
²¹ I have lived the way the Lord wanted me to.
    I am not guilty of turning away from my God.
²² I keep all his laws in mind.
    I haven’t turned away from his commands.
²³ He knows that I am without blame.
    He knows I’ve kept myself from sinning.
²⁴ The Lord has rewarded me for doing what is right.
    He has rewarded me because I haven’t done anything wrong.

²⁵ Lord, to those who are faithful you show that you are faithful.
    To those who are without blame you show that you are without blame.
²⁶ To those who are pure you show that you are pure.
    But to those whose paths are crooked you show that you are clever.
²⁷ You save those who aren’t proud.
    But you bring down those whose eyes are proud.
²⁸ Lord, you keep the lamp of my life burning brightly.
    You are my God. You bring light into my darkness.
²⁹ With your help I can attack a troop of soldiers.
    With the help of my God I can climb over a wall.

³⁰ God’s way is perfect.
    The Lord’s word doesn’t have any flaws.
He is like a shield
    to all who go to him for safety.
³¹ Who is God except the Lord?
    Who is the Rock except our God?
³² God gives me strength for the battle.
    He keeps my way secure.

¹⁹ When the Lord saw this, he turned away from them.
    His sons and daughters made him angry.
²⁰ “I will turn my face away from them,” he said.
    “I will see what will happen to them in the end.
They are sinful people.
    They are unfaithful children.

²⁸ Israel is a nation that doesn’t have any sense.
    They can’t understand anything.
²⁹ I wish they were wise. Then they would understand what’s coming.
    They’d realize what would happen to them in the end.
³⁰ How could one person chase a thousand?
    How could two make ten thousand run away?
It couldn’t happen unless their Rock had deserted them.
    It couldn’t take place unless the Lord had given them up.
³¹ Their rock is not like our Rock.
    Even our enemies know that.
³² Their vine comes from the vines of Sodom.
    It comes from the vineyards of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are filled with poison.
    Their bunches of grapes taste bitter.
³³ Their wine is like the poison of snakes.
    It’s like the deadly poison of cobras.

³⁴ The Lord says, “I have kept all those terrible things stored away.
    I have kept them sealed up in my strongbox.
³⁵ I punish people. I will pay them back.
    The time will come when their feet will slip.
Their day of trouble is near.
    Very soon they will be destroyed.”

³⁶ The Lord will come to the aid of his people.
    He’ll show tender love to those who serve him.
He will know when their strength is gone.
    He’ll see that no one at all is left.
³⁷ He’ll say, “Where are their gods now?
    Where is the rock they went to for safety?
³⁸ Where are the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices?
    Where are the gods who drank the wine of their drink offerings?
Let those gods rise up to help you!
    Let them keep you safe!

³⁹ “Look! I am the One!
    There is no other God except me.
I put some people to death. I bring others to life.
    I have wounded, and I will heal.
    No one can save you from my power.