Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Davidic Psalm, when he fled from his son Absalom.
God Delivers His Servants
3 Lord, I have so many persecutors!
Many are rising up against me!
2 Many are saying about me,
“God will never deliver him!”
3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I cry aloud[a] to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep,
I wake up, because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear multitudes of[b] people,
who set themselves against me on every side.
7 Arise, Lord!
Deliver me, my God!
For you strike the jaw of all my enemies,
and you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance comes from the Lord!
May your blessing be on your people.
5 Then you are to affirm and declare in the presence of the Lord your God:
‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, who went down to Egypt and traveled there with very few family members,[a] yet there he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. 6 But the Egyptians oppressed us, afflicted us, and assigned us to hard labor. 7 So we cried out to the Lord God of our ancestors, and he[b] heard our cries and observed our affliction, trouble, and oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with his awesome power,[c] with great terror, signs, and wonders. 9 And then we arrived at this place, and he gave this land to us, flowing with milk and honey. 10 Now, look—I brought the first produce of the land that you, Lord, have given me.’
Then set it in the presence of the Lord your God and worship him.[d]
32 But you must continue to remember those earlier days, how after you were enlightened you endured a hard and painful struggle. 33 At times you were made a public spectacle by means of insults and persecutions, while at other times you associated with people who were treated this way. 34 For you sympathized[a] with the prisoners and cheerfully submitted to the violent seizure of your property, because you know that you have a better and more permanent possession.
35 So don’t lose your confidence, since it holds a great reward for you. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will you can receive what he has promised. 37 For
“in a very little while
the one who is coming will return—
he will not delay;
38 but my righteous one will live by faith,
and if he turns back,
my soul will take no pleasure in him.”[b]
39 Now, we do not belong to those who turn back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
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