Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me,(A) Lord,
and you know(B) me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;(C)
you perceive my thoughts(D) from afar.
3 You discern my going out(E) and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.(F)
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.(G)
5 You hem me in(H) behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(I)
too lofty(J) for me to attain.
13 For you created my inmost being;(A)
you knit me together(B) in my mother’s womb.(C)
14 I praise you(D) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,(E)
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made(F) in the secret place,
when I was woven together(G) in the depths of the earth.(H)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained(I) for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a](J) God!(K)
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(L)
they would outnumber the grains of sand(M)—
when I awake,(N) I am still with you.
10 Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,(A)
a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!(B)
I have neither lent(C) nor borrowed,
yet everyone curses(D) me.
11 The Lord said,
“Surely I will deliver you(E) for a good purpose;
surely I will make your enemies plead(F) with you
in times of disaster and times of distress.
12 “Can a man break iron—
iron from the north(G)—or bronze?
13 “Your wealth(H) and your treasures
I will give as plunder,(I) without charge,(J)
because of all your sins
throughout your country.(K)
14 I will enslave you to your enemies
in[a] a land you do not know,(L)
for my anger will kindle a fire(M)
that will burn against you.”
15 Lord, you understand;
remember me and care for me.
Avenge me on my persecutors.(N)
You are long-suffering(O)—do not take me away;
think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.(P)
16 When your words came, I ate(Q) them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,(R)
for I bear your name,(S)
Lord God Almighty.
17 I never sat(T) in the company of revelers,
never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand(U) was on me
and you had filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending
and my wound grievous and incurable?(V)
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
like a spring that fails.(W)
19 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“If you repent, I will restore you
that you may serve(X) me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
you will be my spokesman.(Y)
Let this people turn to you,
but you must not turn to them.
20 I will make you a wall(Z) to this people,
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
but will not overcome(AA) you,
for I am with you
to rescue and save you,”(AB)
declares the Lord.
21 “I will save(AC) you from the hands of the wicked(AD)
and deliver(AE) you from the grasp of the cruel.”(AF)
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker(A) and fellow soldier,(B) who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.(C) 26 For he longs for all of you(D) and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,(E) so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,(F) 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.(G)
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