Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Hope in God in the Midst of Despair
For the music director. A maskil of the sons of Korah.[a]
42 As a deer longs for streams of water,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?[b]
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These I remember and I pour out my soul within me:
that I would go with the multitude;
I led them in procession to the house[c] of God,
with a voice of rejoicing and thanksgiving,
a crowd celebrating a festival.
5 Why are you in despair,[d] O my soul,
and disturbed within me?
Hope in God, because I will again praise him,
for the salvation of his presence.
6 O my God, within me my soul is in despair;[e]
therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan
and the heights of Hermon, from the mountain of Mizar.
7 Deep is calling to deep
at[f] the thunder of your waterfalls.
All your breakers and your waves
have passed over me.
8 By day Yahweh commands his loyal love,
and in the night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a shattering in my bones
my oppressors taunt me,
while they say to me all day,[g]
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you in despair,[h] O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, because I shall again praise him,
my salvation[i] and my God.
A Prayer for Rescue
43 Judge me, O God, and plead my case
against[a] an unfaithful[b] nation.
From a man of deceit and wickedness rescue me,
2 because you are the God of my refuge.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send your light and your truth;
they shall lead[c] me.
They shall bring me to your holy mountain[d]
and to your dwelling places.
4 Then[e] I will go to the altar of God,
to God, my surpassing joy,[f]
and I will praise you with lyre,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you in despair,[g] O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, because I will again praise him,
my salvation[h] and my God.
14 “Loyal love[a] should come for the afflicted from his friend,
even if[b] he forsakes the fear of Shaddai.
15 My companions are treacherous like a torrent-bed;
like a streambed of wadis[c] they flow away,
16 which are growing dark because of ice upon them,
it will pile up snow.
17 In time they dry up, they disappear;
when it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 The paths of their way wind around;
they go up into the wasteland, and they perish.
19 The caravans of Tema looked;
the traveling merchants of Sheba hope for them.
20 They are disappointed, because they trusted;
they came here[d] and they are confounded.
21 “For now you[e] have become such;[f]
you see terrors, and you fear.
22 Is it because I have said, ‘Give to me,’
or,[g] ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?
23 or,[h] ‘Save me from the foe’s hand,’
or,[i] ‘Ransom me from the tyrants’ hand’?
24 Teach me, and I myself[j] will be silent;
and make me understand how I have gone astray.
25 How painful are upright words![k]
But[l] what does your reproof[m] reprove?
26 Do you intend to reprove my words[n]
and consider the words of a desperate man as wind?
27 Even over the orphan you would cast the lot,
and you would bargain over your friend.
28 “Therefore[o] be prepared, turn to me,
and I surely will not lie to your face.[p]
29 Please turn, let no injustice happen;
indeed,[q] turn, my righteousness is still intact.[r]
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Or can my palate not discern calamity?[s]
The Promise to Abraham and His Descendant
15 Brothers, I am speaking according to a human perspective. Nevertheless, when[a] the covenant of a man has been ratified, no one declares it invalid or adds additional provisions to it. 16 Now to Abraham and to his descendant the promises were spoken. It does not say, “and to descendants,” as concerning many, but as concerning one, “and to your descendant,”[b] who is Christ. 17 Now I am saying this: the law, that came after four hundred and thirty years, does not revoke a covenant previously ratified by God, in order to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.
The Addition of the Law
19 Why then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the descendant should come to whom it had been promised, having been ordered through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now the mediator is not for one, but God is one.
21 Therefore is the law opposed to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, certainly righteousness would have been from the law. 22 But the scripture imprisoned all under sin, in order that the promise could be given by faith[c] in Jesus Christ to those who believe.
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