Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 Be gracious to me, Lord,
for I am in distress.
My eyes have been consumed by my grief
along with my soul and my body.
10 My life is consumed by sorrow,
my years with groaning.
My strength has faltered because of my iniquity;[a]
my bones have been consumed.
11 I have become an object of reproach to all my enemies,
especially to my neighbors.
I have become an object of fear to my friends,
and whoever sees me outside runs away from me.
12 Like a dead man, I am forgotten in their thoughts[b]—
like broken pottery.
13 I have heard the slander of many;
it is like terror all around me,
as they conspire together and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, Lord.
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands.
Deliver me from the hands of my enemies
and from those who pursue me.
16 May your face shine on your servant;
in your gracious love, deliver me.
God’s Reconciliation with Israel
9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to me,
when I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again spread over the earth;
so have I sworn that I won’t be angry with you again[a]
and that I[b] won’t rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may collapse
and the hills may reel,
but my gracious love will not depart from you,
neither will my covenant of peace totter,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering as part of his plan to glorify many children, 11 because both the one who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified all have the same Father.[a] That is why Jesus[b] is not ashamed to call them brothers 12 when he says, “I will announce your name to my brothers. I will praise you within the congregation.”[c] 13 And again, “I will trust him.”[d] And again, “I am here with the children God has given me.”[e]
14 Therefore, since the children have flesh and blood, he himself also shared the same things, so that by his death he might destroy the one who has the power of death (that is, the Devil) 15 and might free those who were slaves all their lives because they were terrified by death. 16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels. No, he came to help Abraham’s descendants, 17 thereby becoming like his brothers in every way, so that he could be a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and could atone for the people’s sins. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
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