Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 145[a]
Praise of the Divine Majesty
1 [b]Praise. Of David.
I will extol you, my God and King;
I will bless your name[c] forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.[d]
3 [e]Great is the Lord and worthy of the highest praise;
no one can even begin to comprehend his greatness.[f]
4 Each generation will praise your works[g] to the next
and proclaim your mighty deeds.
5 People will proclaim the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6 They will speak of the power of your awesome deeds,
and I will relate your greatness.
7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and sing joyfully of your saving justice.
8 [h]The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.[i]
3 A destroying enemy is advancing against you;
guard the ramparts.
Keep watch on the road,
gird your loins,
and prepare to exert
every last ounce of courage.
The Agony of Nineveh[a]
Devastation, Plunder, and Destruction[b]
4 The shields of his warriors are red with blood;
their garments are scarlet in color.
The metal on the chariots flashes
as he summons them for battle;
the horses are frenzied in anticipation.
5 The chariots charge madly through the streets,
rushing back and forth through the squares.
They have the appearance of a blazing fire;
they dash about like lightning bolts.
6 His finest troops are summoned
and rush forward to the attack.
They hasten toward the wall
and set up the mantelet.
7 The river gates are opened
and the palace trembles.
8 The captives are taken into exile
and its slave girls are carried away,
moaning like doves
and beating their breasts.
9 Nineveh is like a lake
whose waters are ebbing away.
“Stop! Stop!” goes up the cry,
but no one turns back.
10 “Plunder the silver!
Plunder the gold!
There is no end to the treasure,
an abundance of wealth
from precious things of every kind.”
11 Devastation, desolation, and ruin
confront faint hearts and trembling knees.
The loins of all are filled with anguish;
every face is drained of color.
Where Is the Lions’ Den?[c]
12 Where now is the lions’ den,
the cave where they fed their whelps,
where the lion and lioness cared for their cubs,
with no one to disturb them?
13 There the lion stored up
sufficient food for his whelps
and strangled prey for his mate.
He filled his dens with prey
and his caves with torn flesh.
Examine Yourselves. 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? If he is not, then you have failed the test. 6 It is my hope that you will come to the realization that we have not failed. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong—not so that we may appear to have passed the test, but so that you may do what is right, even though we may appear to have failed.
8 We have no power to do anything against the truth but only for the truth. 9 We rejoice when we are weak, just as long as you are strong. This is what we desire—that you may become perfect.
10 I am writing this letter prior to my arrival so that when I come I may not have to treat you harshly in exercising the authority that the Lord has given me to build up and not to tear down.
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