Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.
A Psalm of David. A [a]Maskil.
32 (A)How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord (B)does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is (C)no deceit!
3 When (D)I kept silent about my sin, (E)my [b]body wasted away
Through my [c](F)groaning all day long.
4 For day and night (G)Your hand was heavy upon me;
My [d](H)vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. [e]Selah.
5 I (I)acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I (J)did not hide;
I said, “(K)I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You (L)forgave the [f]guilt of my sin. Selah.
6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [g](M)in a time when You may be found;
Surely (N)in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are (O)my hiding place; You (P)preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with [h](Q)songs of deliverance. Selah.
8 I will (R)instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you (S)with My eye upon you.
9 Do not be (T)as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 Many are the (U)sorrows of the wicked,
But (V)he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
11 Be (W)glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are (X)upright in heart.
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
19 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and [a](A)how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “(B)So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your [b]life as the [c]life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And he [d]was afraid and arose and ran for his [e]life and came to (C)Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a [f]juniper tree; and (D)he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my [g]life, for I am not better than my fathers.” 5 He lay down and slept under a [h]juniper tree; and behold, there was (E)an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” 6 Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food (F)forty days and forty nights to (G)Horeb, the mountain of God.
10 For (A)it was fitting for Him, (B)for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to (C)perfect the [a](D)author of their salvation through sufferings. 11 For both He who (E)sanctifies and those who (F)are [b]sanctified are all (G)from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them (H)brethren, 12 saying,
“(I)I will proclaim Your name to My brethren,
In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
13 And again,
“(J)I will put My trust in Him.”
And again,
“(K)Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
14 Therefore, since the children share in [c](L)flesh and blood, (M)He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that (N)through death He might render powerless (O)him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through (P)fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not [d]give help to angels, but He gives help to the [e]descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He [f]had (Q)to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might (R)become a merciful and faithful (S)high priest in (T)things pertaining to God, to (U)make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was (V)tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.