Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 13
How Long, O Lord?
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For the choir director. A psalm by David.
Anguished Questions
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I experience worries in my soul,
sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy tower over me?
An Urgent Prayer
3 Look at me. Answer me, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes
so I do not sleep in death,
4 so my enemy does not say, “I have overcome him,”
so my foes do not rejoice when I fall.
A Solid Answer
5 But I trust in your mercy.
My heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord
because he has accomplished his purpose for me.
Jehoshaphat’s Speech
5 Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the House of the Lord in front of the new courtyard. 6 He said:
Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God in heaven? You are ruling over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might. There is no one who can stand up against you.
7 Was it not you, our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land in front of your people Israel? You gave it to the descendants of your friend Abraham forever. 8 They have lived in it, and in it they have built a holy place for your Name, and they said, 9 “If disaster comes on us—the sword of judgment, plague, and famine, we will stand before this house and before you, for your Name is in this house. We will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear and save.”
10 Now look! Men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir have invaded. When Israel came up from the land of Egypt, you did not allow Israel to invade their land. So Israel went around them and did not destroy them. 11 Look how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from your possession, which you have given to us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For there is no power in us to face this huge horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.
7 You were running well! Who cut in on you, so that you are no longer persuaded by the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from the one who calls you. 9 A little yeast works through the whole batch. 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will have no other opinion than this. But the one who is trying to disturb you will pay the penalty, whoever he is.
11 Brothers,[a] if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? Then the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 If only those who are upsetting you would also cut themselves off![b]
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.