Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 60
Prayer in Difficult Times
For the choir director: according to “The Lily of Testimony.”[a] A Davidic Miktam for teaching. When he fought with Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and struck Edom in the Valley of Salt, killing 12,000.(A)
1 God, You have rejected us;
You have broken out[b] against us;
You have been angry. Restore us
2 You have shaken the land and split it open.
Heal its fissures, for it shudders.(C)
3 You have made Your people suffer hardship;
You have given us wine to drink
that made us stagger.(D)
4 You have given a signal flag to those who fear You,
so that they can flee before the archers.[d](E)
5 Save with Your right hand, and answer me,
so that those You love may be rescued.(F)
6 God has spoken in His sanctuary:[e]
“I will triumph! I will divide up Shechem.(G)
I will apportion the Valley of Succoth.(H)
7 Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine,
and Ephraim is My helmet;(I)
Judah is My scepter.(J)
8 Moab is My washbasin.(K)
I throw My sandal on Edom;(L)
I shout in triumph over Philistia.”(M)
13 When Ephraim spoke,(A) there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel.(B)
But he incurred guilt through Baal(C) and died.
2 Now they continue to sin
and make themselves a cast image,(D)
idols skillfully made from their silver,(E)
all of them the work of craftsmen.(F)
People say about them,
“Let the men who sacrifice[a] kiss the calves.”(G)
3 Therefore, they will be like the morning mist,(H)
like the early dew that vanishes,
like chaff blown from a threshing floor,(I)
or like smoke from a window.(J)
Death and Resurrection
4 I have been Yahweh your God(K)
ever since[b] the land of Egypt;
you know no God but Me,(L)
and no Savior exists besides Me.(M)
5 I knew[c] you in the wilderness,(N)
in the land of drought.
6 When they had pasture,
they became satisfied;(O)
they were satisfied,
and their hearts became proud.(P)
Therefore they forgot Me.(Q)
7 So I will be like a lion(R) to them;
I will lurk like a leopard(S) on the path.
8 I will attack them
like a bear robbed of her cubs
and tear open the rib cage over their hearts.
I will devour them there like a lioness,(T)
like a wild beast that would rip them open.
9 I will destroy you, Israel;
you have no help but Me.[d](U)
10 Where now is your king,[e](V)
that he may save you in all your cities,
and the[f] rulers[g](W) you demanded, saying,
“Give me a king and leaders”?
11 I give you a king in My anger(X)
and take away a king in My wrath.(Y)
12 Ephraim’s guilt is preserved;
his sin is stored up.(Z)
13 Labor pains come on him.(AA)
He is not a wise son;(AB)
when the time comes,
he will not be born.[h](AC)
14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol.
I will redeem[i] them from death.(AD)
Death, where are your barbs?
Sheol, where is your sting?(AE)
Compassion is hidden from My eyes.(AF)
The Coming Judgment
Speaking to God and Others
2 Devote yourselves(A) to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door(B) to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah,(C) for which I am in prison,(D) 4 so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak. 5 Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.(E) 6 Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt,(F) so that you may know how you should answer each person.(G)
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