Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

77 I cry to the Lord; I call and call to him. Oh, that he would listen. ² I am in deep trouble and I need his help so much. All night long I pray, lifting my hands to heaven, pleading. There can be no joy for me until he acts. ³ I think of God and moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help. ⁴ I cannot sleep until you act. I am too distressed even to pray!

⁵ I keep thinking of the good old days of the past, long since ended. ⁶ Then my nights were filled with joyous songs. I search my soul and meditate upon the difference now. ⁷ Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be favorable? ⁸ Is his loving-kindness gone forever? Has his promise failed? ⁹ Has he forgotten to be kind to one so undeserving? Has he slammed the door in anger on his love? ¹⁰ And I said: This is my fate, that the blessings of God have changed to hate.^{[a] 11} I recall the many miracles he did for me so long ago. ¹² Those wonderful deeds are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them.

¹³ O God, your ways are holy. Where is there any other as mighty as you? ¹⁴ You are the God of miracles and wonders! You still demonstrate your awesome power.

¹⁵ You have redeemed us who are the sons of Jacob and of Joseph by your might. ¹⁶ When the Red Sea saw you, how it feared! It trembled to its depths! ¹⁷ The clouds poured down their rain, the thunder rolled and crackled in the sky. Your lightning flashed. ¹⁸ There was thunder in the whirlwind; the lightning lighted up the world! The earth trembled and shook.

¹⁹ Your road led by a pathway through the sea—a pathway no one knew was there! ²⁰ You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

30 These are the messages of Agur, son of Jakeh, addressed to Ithiel and Ucal:

² I am tired out, O God, and ready to die. I am too stupid even to call myself a human being! ³ I cannot understand man,^[a] let alone God. ⁴ Who else but God goes back and forth to heaven? Who else holds the wind in his fists and wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who but God has created the world? If there is any other, what is his name—and his Son’s name—if you know it?

⁵ Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection. ⁶ Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

⁷ O God, I beg two favors from you before I die: ⁸ First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs! ⁹ For if I grow rich, I may become content without God. And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

4 Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted there by Satan. ² For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. ³ Then Satan tempted him to get food by changing stones into loaves of bread.

“It will prove you are the Son of God,” he said.

⁴ But Jesus told him, “No! For the Scriptures tell us that bread won’t feed men’s souls: obedience to every word of God is what we need.”

⁵ Then Satan took him to Jerusalem to the roof of the Temple. ⁶ “Jump off,” he said, “and prove you are the Son of God; for the Scriptures declare, ‘God will send his angels to keep you from harm,’ . . . they will prevent you from smashing on the rocks below.”

⁷ Jesus retorted, “It also says not to put the Lord your God to a foolish test!”

⁸ Next Satan took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory. ⁹ “I’ll give it all to you,” he said, “if you will only kneel and worship me.”

¹⁰ “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “The Scriptures say, ‘Worship only the Lord God. Obey only him.’”

¹¹ Then Satan went away, and angels came and cared for Jesus.