Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prayer of an Afflicted Man for Mercy on Himself and on Zion.
A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and [a]pours out his complaint before the Lord.
102 (A)Hear my prayer, O Lord!
And let my cry for help (B)come to You.
2 (C)Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress;
(D)Incline Your ear to me;
In the day when I call (E)answer me quickly.
3 For my days (F)have been [b]consumed in smoke,
And my (G)bones have been scorched like a hearth.
4 My heart (H)has been smitten like [c]grass and has (I)withered away,
Indeed, I (J)forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the [d]loudness of my groaning
My (K)bones [e]cling to my flesh.
6 I [f]resemble a (L)pelican of the wilderness;
I have become like an owl of the waste places.
7 I (M)lie awake,
I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop.
8 My enemies (N)have reproached me all day long;
Those who [g](O)deride me [h]have used my name as a (P)curse.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread
And (Q)mingled my drink with weeping
10 (R)Because of Your indignation and Your wrath,
For You have (S)lifted me up and cast me away.
11 My days are like a [i](T)lengthened shadow,
And [j]I (U)wither away like [k]grass.
12 But You, O Lord, [l](V)abide forever,
And Your [m](W)name to all generations.
13 You will (X)arise and have (Y)compassion on Zion;
For (Z)it is time to be gracious to her,
For the (AA)appointed time has come.
14 Surely Your servants [n]find pleasure in her stones
And feel pity for her dust.
15 [o]So the [p](AB)nations will fear the name of the Lord
And (AC)all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16 For the Lord has (AD)built up Zion;
He has (AE)appeared in His glory.
17 He has (AF)regarded the prayer of the [q]destitute
And has not despised their prayer.
5 (A)Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And (B)do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways (C)acknowledge Him,
And He will (D)make your paths straight.
7 (E)Do not be wise in your own eyes;
(F)Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be (G)healing to your [a]body
And (H)refreshment to your bones.
9 (I)Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the (J)first of all your produce;
10 So your (K)barns will be filled with plenty
And your (L)vats will overflow with new wine.
11 (M)My son, do not reject the [b]discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His reproof,
12 For (N)whom the Lord loves He reproves,
Even (O)as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
44 “Our fathers had (A)the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it (B)according to the pattern which he had seen. 45 And having received it in their turn, our fathers (C)brought it in with [a]Joshua upon dispossessing the [b]nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. 46 (D)David found favor in God’s sight, and (E)asked that he might find a dwelling place for the [c]God of Jacob. 47 But it was (F)Solomon who built a house for Him. 48 However, (G)the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:
49 ‘(H)Heaven is My throne,
And earth is the footstool of My feet;
What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord,
‘Or what place is there for My repose?
50 ‘(I)Was it not My hand which made all these things?’
51 “You men who are (J)stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 (K)Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of (L)the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers (M)you have now become; 53 you who received the law as (N)ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
Stephen Put to Death
54 Now when they heard this, they were (O)cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being (P)full of the Holy Spirit, he (Q)gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing (R)at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the (S)heavens opened up and (T)the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
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