Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 21
The King’s Victory
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 Lord, the king finds joy in your strength.
How greatly he rejoices in your victory!(A)
2 You have given him his heart’s desire(B)
and have not denied the request of his lips.(C)Selah
3 For you meet him with rich blessings;
you place a crown of pure gold on his head.(D)
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days forever and ever.(E)
5 His glory is great through your victory;
you confer majesty and splendor on him.(F)
6 You give him blessings forever;(G)
you cheer him with joy in your presence.(H)
7 For the king relies on the Lord;
through the faithful love of the Most High
he is not shaken.(I)
8 Your hand will capture all your enemies;
your right hand will seize those who hate you.(J)
9 You will make them burn
like a fiery furnace when you appear;
the Lord will engulf them in his wrath,
and fire will devour them.(K)
10 You will wipe their progeny from the earth
and their offspring from the human race.[a](L)
11 Though they intend to harm[b] you
and devise a wicked plan, they will not prevail.(M)
12 Instead, you will put them to flight
when you ready your bowstrings to shoot at them.(N)
13 Be exalted, Lord, in your strength;
we will sing and praise your might.(O)
14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob,(A)
you men[a] of Israel.
I will help you”—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
Your Redeemer(B) is the Holy One of Israel.(C)
15 See, I will make you into a sharp threshing board,
new, with many teeth.
You will thresh mountains and pulverize them
and make hills into chaff.(D)
16 You will winnow them(E)
and a wind will carry them away,
a whirlwind will scatter them.
But you will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
17 The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I will answer them.(F)
I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I will not abandon them.
18 I will open rivers on the barren heights,(G)
and springs in the middle of the plains.
I will turn the desert into a pool
and dry land into springs.(H)
19 I will plant cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive trees
in the wilderness.(I)
I will put juniper, elm, and cypress trees together
in the desert,
20 so that all may see and know,
consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,(J)
the Holy One of Israel has created(K) it.
From Jerusalem to Illyricum
14 My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness,(A) filled with all knowledge,(B) and able to instruct one another. 15 Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points[a] because of the grace given me by God(C) 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,(D) serving as a priest of the gospel of God.(E) God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering,(F) sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus(G) regarding what pertains to God.(H) 18 For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me(I) by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, 19 by the power of miraculous signs and wonders,(J) and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem(K) all the way around to Illyricum.[b](L) 20 My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named,(M) so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,(N) 21 but, as it is written,
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