Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Book Three

Psalm 73

A Psalm of Asaph.

¹ Truly God is [only] good to Israel, even to those who are upright and pure in heart.

² But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well-nigh slipped.

³ For I was envious of the foolish and arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ For they suffer no violent pangs in their death, but their strength is firm.

⁵ They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they smitten and plagued like other men.

⁶ Therefore pride is about their necks like a chain; violence covers them like a garment [like a long, luxurious robe].

⁷ Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish; and the imaginations of their minds overflow [with follies].

⁸ They scoff, and wickedly utter oppression; they speak loftily [from on high, maliciously and blasphemously].

⁹ They set their mouths against and speak down from heaven, and their tongues swagger through the earth [invading even heaven with blasphemy and smearing earth with slanders].^(A)

¹⁰ Therefore His people return here, and waters of a full cup [offered by the wicked] are [blindly] drained by them.

¹¹ And they say, How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?

¹² Behold, these are the ungodly, who always prosper and are at ease in the world; they increase in riches.

¹³ Surely then in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocency.

¹⁴ For all the day long have I been smitten and plagued, and chastened every morning.

¹⁵ Had I spoken thus [and given expression to my feelings], I would have been untrue and have dealt treacherously against the generation of Your children.

¹⁶ But when I considered how to understand this, it was too great an effort for me and too painful

¹⁷ Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood [for I considered] their end.

¹⁸ [After all] You do set the [wicked] in slippery places; You cast them down to ruin and destruction.

¹⁹ How they become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors!

²⁰ As a dream [which seems real] until one awakens, so, O Lord, when You arouse Yourself [to take note of the wicked], You will despise their outward show.

³² Now therefore listen to me, O you sons; for blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who keep my ways.^(A)

³³ Hear instruction and be wise, and do not refuse or neglect it.

³⁴ Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

³⁵ For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord.

³⁶ But he who misses me or sins against me wrongs and injures himself; all who hate me love and court death.

9 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out and set up her seven [perfect number of] pillars.

² She has killed her beasts, she has mixed her [spiritual] wine; she has also set her table.^(B)

³ She has sent out her maids to cry from the highest places of the town:

⁴ Whoever is simple (easily led astray and wavering), let him turn in here! As for him who lacks understanding, [God’s] Wisdom says to him,

⁵ Come, eat of my bread and drink of the [spiritual] wine which I have mixed.^(C)

⁶ Leave off, simple ones [forsake the foolish and simpleminded] and live! And walk in the way of insight and understanding.

²⁹ [Urged on] by faith the people crossed the Red Sea as [though] on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried to do the same thing they were swallowed up [by the sea].^(A)

³⁰ Because of faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encompassed for seven days [by the Israelites].^(B)

³¹ [Prompted] by faith Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed along with those who refused to believe and obey, because she had received the spies in peace [without enmity].^(C)

³² And what shall I say further? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,^(D)

³³ Who by [the help of] faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions,^(E)

³⁴ Extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts.^(F)

³⁵ [Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured ^[a]to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life.^(G)

³⁶ Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment.

³⁷ They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated—

³⁸ [Men] of whom the world was not worthy—roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth.

³⁹ And all of these, though they won divine approval by [means of] their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised,

⁴⁰ Because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us, so that they [these heroes and heroines of faith] should not come to perfection apart from us [before we could join them].

12 Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,

² Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.^(H)