Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Comfort in Trouble from Recalling God’s Mighty Deeds.
For the choir director; [a]according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
77 My voice rises to God, and I will (A)cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
2 In the (B)day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
(C)In the night my (D)hand was stretched out [b]without weariness;
My soul (E)refused to be comforted.
3 When I remember God, then I am (F)disturbed;
When I (G)sigh, then (H)my spirit grows faint. [c]Selah.
4 You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I (I)cannot speak.
5 I have considered the (J)days of old,
The years of long ago.
6 I will remember my (K)song in the night;
I (L)will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit [d]ponders:
7 Will the Lord (M)reject forever?
And will He (N)never be favorable again?
8 Has His (O)lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His [e](P)promise come to an end [f]forever?
9 Has God (Q)forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger [g]withdrawn His (R)compassion? Selah.
10 Then I said, “(S)It is my [h]grief,
That the (T)right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I shall remember the (U)deeds of [i]the Lord;
Surely I will (V)remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will (W)meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is (X)holy;
(Y)What god is great like our God?
14 You are the (Z)God who works wonders;
You have (AA)made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have by Your [j]power (AB)redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and (AC)Joseph. Selah.
16 The (AD)waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
17 The (AE)clouds poured out water;
The skies (AF)gave forth a sound;
Your (AG)arrows [k]flashed here and there.
18 The (AH)sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The (AI)lightnings lit up the world;
The (AJ)earth trembled and shook.
19 Your (AK)way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
20 You (AL)led Your people like a flock
By the hand of (AM)Moses and Aaron.
8 “But as for me, I would (A)seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;
9 Who (B)does great and unsearchable things,
[a]Wonders without number.
10 “He (C)gives rain on the earth
And sends water on the fields,
11 So that (D)He sets on high those who are lowly,
And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 “He (E)frustrates the plotting of the shrewd,
So that their hands cannot attain success.
13 “He (F)captures the wise by their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
14 “By day they (G)meet with darkness,
And grope at noon as in the night.
15 “But He saves from (H)the sword of their mouth,
And (I)the poor from the hand of the mighty.
16 “So the helpless has hope,
And (J)unrighteousness must shut its mouth.
17 “Behold, how (K)happy is the man whom God reproves,
So do not despise the (L)discipline of [b]the Almighty.
18 “For (M)He inflicts pain, and [c]gives relief;
He wounds, and His hands also heal.
19 “[d]From six troubles (N)He will deliver you,
Even in seven (O)evil will not touch you.
20 “In (P)famine He will redeem you from death,
And (Q)in war from the power of the sword.
21 “You will be (R)hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
(S)And you will not be afraid of violence when it comes.
22 “You will (T)laugh at violence and famine,
(U)And you will not be afraid of [e]wild beasts.
23 “For you will be in league with the stones of the field,
And (V)the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 “You will know that your (W)tent is secure,
For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.
25 “You will know also that your [f](X)descendants will be many,
And (Y)your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 “You will (Z)come to the grave in full vigor,
Like the stacking of grain in its season.
27 “Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is.
Hear it, and know for yourself.”
8 [a]To sum up, (A)all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, (B)brotherly, (C)kindhearted, and (D)humble in spirit; 9 (E)not returning evil for evil or (F)insult for insult, but [b]giving a (G)blessing instead; for (H)you were called for the very purpose that you might (I)inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“(J)The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 “(K)He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
12 “(L)For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 (M)Who is [c]there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should (N)suffer for the sake of righteousness, (O)you [d]are blessed. (P)And do not fear their [e]intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but [f]sanctify (Q)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready (R)to make a [g]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the (S)hope that is in you, yet (T)with gentleness and [h](U)reverence; 16 [i]and keep a (V)good conscience so that in the thing in which (W)you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For (X)it is better, (Y)if [j]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 18 For (Z)Christ also died for sins (AA)once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might (AB)bring us to God, having been put to death (AC)in the flesh, but made alive (AD)in the [k]spirit;
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