Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God Abases the Proud, but Exalts the Righteous.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
75 We give thanks and praise to You, O God, we give thanks,
For Your [wonderful works declare that Your] [a]name is near;
People declare Your wonders.
2
“When I select an appointed time,
I will judge with equity,” [says the Lord].
3
“The earth and all the inhabitants of it melt [in tumultuous times].
It is I who will steady its pillars. Selah.
4
“I said to the arrogant, ‘Do not boast;’
And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn [of self-glorification].
5
‘Do not lift up your [defiant and aggressive] horn on high,
Do not speak with a stiff neck.’”
6
For not from the east, nor from the west,
Nor from the desert comes exaltation.(A)
7
But God is the Judge;
He puts down one and lifts up another.
8
For a cup [of His wrath] is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;
It is well mixed and fully spiced, and He pours out from it;
And all the wicked of the earth must drain it and drink down to its dregs.(B)
9
But as for me, I will declare it and rejoice forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10
All the horns of the wicked He will cut off,
But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
God’s Power Shown in Creatures
41 “[a]Can you draw out [b]Leviathan with a fishhook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?
2
“Can you put a rope [made] of rushes into his nose
Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3
“Will he make many supplications to you [begging to be spared]?
Or will he speak soft words to you [to coax you to treat him kindly]?
4
“Will he make a covenant or an arrangement with you?
Will you take him for your servant forever?
5
“Will you play with him as with a bird?
Or will you bind him [and put him on a leash] for your maidens?
6
“Will traders bargain over him?
Will they divide him up among the merchants?
7
“Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
8
“Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle [with him]; you will not do such [an ill-advised thing] again!
9
“[c]Behold, his [assailant’s] hope and expectation [of defeating Leviathan] is false;
Will not one be overwhelmed even at the sight of him?
10
“No one is so fierce [and foolhardy] that he dares to stir up Leviathan;
Who then is he who can stand before Me [or dares to contend with Me, the beast’s creator]?
11
“Who has first given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. [Who can have a claim against Me who made the unmastered beast?](A)
13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, He swore [an oath] by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.”(A) 15 And so, having patiently waited, he realized the promise [in the miraculous birth of Isaac, as a pledge of what was to come from God]. 16 Indeed men swear [an oath] by [a]one greater than themselves, and with them [in all disputes] the oath serves as confirmation [of what has been said] and is an end of the dispute. 17 In the same way God, in His desire to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of His purpose, intervened and guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge would have strong encouragement and indwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us. 19 This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it]—a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells],(B) 20 where Jesus has entered [in advance] as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of [b]Melchizedek.(C)
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