Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.
A Psalm of David.
28 To You, O Lord, I call;
My (A)rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You (B)are silent to me,
I will become like those who (C)go down to the pit.
2 Hear the (D)voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,
When I (E)lift up my hands (F)toward [a]Your holy (G)sanctuary.
3 (H)Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who work iniquity,
Who (I)speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
4 Requite them (J)according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Requite them according to the deeds of their hands;
Repay them their [b]recompense.
5 Because they (K)do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
Because He (L)has heard the voice of my supplication.
7 The Lord is my (M)strength and my (N)shield;
My heart (O)trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore (P)my heart exults,
And with (Q)my song I shall thank Him.
8 The Lord is [c]their (R)strength,
And He is a [d](S)saving defense to His anointed.
9 (T)Save Your people and bless (U)Your inheritance;
Be their (V)shepherd also, and (W)carry them forever.
A Confession of Wickedness
9 Therefore (A)justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not overtake us;
We (B)hope for light, but behold, darkness,
For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We (C)grope along the wall like blind men,
We grope like those who have no eyes;
We (D)stumble at midday as in the twilight,
Among those who are vigorous we are (E)like dead men.
11 All of us growl like bears,
And (F)moan sadly like doves;
We hope for (G)justice, but there is none,
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our (H)transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our (I)sins [a]testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And [b]we know our iniquities:
13 Transgressing and (J)denying the Lord,
And turning away from our God,
Speaking (K)oppression and revolt,
Conceiving in and (L)uttering from the heart lying words.
14 (M)Justice is turned back,
And (N)righteousness stands far away;
For truth has stumbled in the street,
And uprightness cannot enter.
15 Yes, truth is lacking;
And he who turns aside from evil (O)makes himself a prey.
Now the Lord saw,
And it was [c]displeasing in His sight (P)that there was no justice.
16 And He saw that there was (Q)no man,
And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;
Then His (R)own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on (S)righteousness like a breastplate,
And a (T)helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on (U)garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with (V)zeal as a mantle.
18 (W)According to their [d]deeds, [e]so He will repay,
Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will [f]make recompense.
19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the (X)west
And His glory from the (Y)rising of the sun,
For He will (Z)come like a [g]rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.
As Newborn Babes
2 Therefore, (A)putting aside all [a]malice and all deceit and [b]hypocrisy and [c]envy and all [d](B)slander, 2 (C)like newborn babies, long for the [e](D)pure [f]milk of the word, so that by it you may (E)grow [g]in respect to salvation, 3 if you have (F)tasted [h](G)the kindness of the Lord.
As Living Stones
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been (H)rejected by men, but is [i]choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 (I)you also, as living stones, [j]are being built up as a (J)spiritual house for a holy (K)priesthood, to (L)offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in [k]Scripture:
“(M)Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a (N)precious corner stone,
And he who believes in [l]Him will not be [m]disappointed.”
7 (O)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
8 and,
“(R)A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;
(S)for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, (T)and to this doom they were also appointed.
9 But you are (U)a chosen race, a royal (V)priesthood, a (W)holy nation, (X)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you (Y)out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 (Z)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.