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.
13 (A)How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
14 For her (B)profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
15 She is (C)more precious than [a]jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 [b](D)Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are (E)riches and honor.
17 Her (F)ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are (G)peace.
18 She is a (H)tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.
The Truth Will Make You Free
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “(A)If you continue in My word, then you are truly (B)disciples of Mine; 32 and (C)you will know the truth, and (D)the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “(E)We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (F)everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 (G)The slave does not remain in the house forever; (H)the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son (I)makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are (J)Abraham’s descendants; yet (K)you seek to kill Me, because My word [a]has no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen [b]with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from (L)your father.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.