Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
77 To the Overseer, for Jeduthun. -- A Psalm of Asaph. My voice [is] to God, and I cry, my voice [is] to God, And He hath given ear unto me.
2 In a day of my distress the Lord I sought, My hand by night hath been spread out, And it doth not cease, My soul hath refused to be comforted.
3 I remember God, and make a noise, I meditate, and feeble is my spirit. Selah.
4 Thou hast taken hold of the watches of mine eyes, I have been moved, and I speak not.
5 I have reckoned the days of old, The years of the ages.
6 I remember my music in the night, With my heart I meditate, and my spirit doth search diligently:
7 To the ages doth the Lord cast off? Doth He add to be pleased no more?
8 Hath His kindness ceased for ever? The saying failed to all generations?
9 Hath God forgotten [His] favours? Hath He shut up in anger His mercies? Selah.
10 And I say: `My weakness is, The changes of the right hand of the Most High.'
11 I mention the doings of Jah, For I remember of old Thy wonders,
12 And I have meditated on all Thy working, And I talk concerning Thy doings.
13 O God, in holiness [is] Thy way, Who [is] a great god like God?
14 Thou [art] the God doing wonders. Thou hast made known among the peoples Thy strength,
15 Thou hast redeemed with strength Thy people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16 The waters have seen Thee, O God, The waters have seen Thee, They are afraid -- also depths are troubled.
17 Poured out waters have thick clouds, The skies have given forth a noise, Also -- Thine arrows go up and down.
18 The voice of Thy thunder [is] in the spheres, Lightnings have lightened the world, The earth hath trembled, yea, it shaketh.
19 In the sea [is] Thy way, And Thy paths [are] in many waters, And Thy tracks have not been known.
20 Thou hast led as a flock Thy people, By the hand of Moses and Aaron!
8 Yet I -- I inquire for God, And for God I give my word,
9 Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, till there is no numbering.
10 Who is giving rain on the face of the land, And is sending waters on the out-places.
11 To set the low on a high place, And the mourners have been high [in] safety.
12 Making void thoughts of the subtile, And their hands do not execute wisdom.
13 Capturing the wise in their subtilty, And the counsel of wrestling ones was hastened,
14 By day they meet darkness, And as night -- they grope at noon.
15 And He saveth the wasted from their mouth, And from a strong hand the needy,
16 And there is hope to the poor, And perverseness hath shut her mouth.
17 Lo, the happiness of mortal man, God doth reprove him: And the chastisement of the Mighty despise not,
18 For He doth pain, and He bindeth up, He smiteth, and His hands heal.
19 In six distresses He delivereth thee, And in seven evil striketh not on thee.
20 In famine He hath redeemed thee from death, And in battle from the hands of the sword.
21 When the tongue scourgeth thou art hid, And thou art not afraid of destruction, When it cometh.
22 At destruction and at hunger thou mockest, And of the beast of the earth, Thou art not afraid.
23 (For with sons of the field [is] thy covenant, And the beast of the field Hath been at peace with thee.)
24 And thou hast known that thy tent [is] peace, And inspected thy habitation, and errest not,
25 And hast known that numerous [is] Thy seed, And thine offspring as the herb of the earth;
26 Thou comest in full age unto the grave, As the going up of a stalk in its season.
27 Lo, this -- we searched it out -- it [is] right, hearken; And thou, know for thyself!
8 And finally, being all of one mind, having fellow-feeling, loving as brethren, compassionate, courteous,
9 not giving back evil for evil, or railing for railing, and on the contrary, blessing, having known that to this ye were called, that a blessing ye may inherit;
10 for `he who is willing to love life, and to see good days, let him guard his tongue from evil, and his lips -- not to speak guile;
11 let him turn aside from evil, and do good, let him seek peace and pursue it;
12 because the eyes of the Lord [are] upon the righteous, and His ears -- to their supplication, and the face of the Lord [is] upon those doing evil;'
13 and who [is] he who will be doing you evil, if of Him who is good ye may become imitators?
14 but if ye also should suffer because of righteousness, happy [are ye]! and of their fear be not afraid, nor be troubled,
15 and the Lord God sanctify in your hearts. And [be] ready always for defence to every one who is asking of you an account concerning the hope that [is] in you, with meekness and fear;
16 having a good conscience, that in that in which they speak against you as evil-doers, they may be ashamed who are traducing your good behaviour in Christ;
17 for [it is] better doing good, if the will of God will it, to suffer, than doing evil;
18 because also Christ once for sin did suffer -- righteous for unrighteous -- that he might lead us to God, having been put to death indeed, in the flesh, and having been made alive in the spirit,