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)
David, King of Israel
5 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron(A) and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.[a](B) 2 Even while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led us out to battle and brought us back.(C) The Lord also said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be ruler over Israel.’”
3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. King David made a covenant with them(D) at Hebron in the Lord’s presence, and they anointed David king over Israel.
4 David was thirty years old when he began his reign;(E) he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites(F) who inhabited the land. The Jebusites had said to David, “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you” thinking, “David can’t get in here.”
7 Yet David did capture the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.(G) 8 He said that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must go through the water shaft to reach the lame and the blind who are despised by David.”[b] For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the house.”[c]
9 David took up residence in the stronghold, which he named the city of David. He built it up all the way around from the supporting terraces inward. 10 David became more and more powerful,(H) and the Lord God of Armies was with him.(I)
Paul’s Sufferings for Christ
16 I repeat: Let no one consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool so that I can also boast a little. 17 What I am saying in this matter[a] of boasting, I don’t speak as the Lord would, but as it were, foolishly. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I will also boast. 19 For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools!(A) 20 In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone exploits(B) you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is arrogant toward you, if someone slaps(C) you in the face. 21 I say this to our shame: We have been too weak for that!
But in whatever anyone dares to boast—I am talking foolishly—I also dare: 22 Are they Hebrews?(D) So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham?(E) So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death.
24 Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews.(F) 25 Three times I was beaten with rods.(G) Once I received a stoning.(H) Three times I was shipwrecked.(I) I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26 On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers,(J) dangers from my own people,(K) dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; 27 toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing.(L) 28 Not to mention[b] other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble,(M) and I do not burn with indignation?
30 If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. 31 The God and Father(N) of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. 32 In Damascus,(O) a ruler[c] under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me. 33 So I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.(P)
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