Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 60[a]
Prayer To End Wars
1 For the director.[b] According to “The Lily of. . . .” A miktam of David (for teaching), 2 when he fought against Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah; and when Joab, coming back, slew twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
3 O God, you have turned away from us
and left us defenseless.
Although your anger was aroused,
now come to our aid.
4 You shook the earth[c] and split it apart;
repair its cracks, for it continues to shake.
5 You have inflicted hardships on your people;
you have given us wine that made us stagger.[d]
6 But for those who fear you,
you have raised up a banner
to unfurl against the bow.[e] Selah
7 [f]With your right hand come to our aid and answer us
so that those you love may be delivered.
8 [g]God has promised from his sanctuary,
“In triumph I will apportion Shechem
and measure out the Valley of Succoth.
9 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,[h]
Judah is my scepter.
10 Moab is my washbasin;[i]
upon Edom I will plant my sandal;
over Philistia I will shout in triumph.”
11 [j]Who will lead me into the fortified city?[k]
Who will guide me into Edom?
12 Is it not you, O God, who have rejected us
and no longer go forth with our armies?
13 Grant us your help against our enemies,
for any human assistance is worthless.
14 With God’s help we will be victorious,
for he will overwhelm our foes.
Chapter 14
1 Samaria will be severely punished
because she has rebelled against her God.
Her people will fall by the sword;
her little ones will be dashed to pieces,
and her pregnant women will be ripped open.[a]
Come Back, O Israel, and I Will Love You[b]
2 Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God;
your iniquity has been the cause of your downfall.
3 Prepare in advance what you want to say,
and return to the Lord.
Say to him, “Take away all guilt
and give us what is good,
so that we may present as offerings
the bullocks from our stalls.
4 Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we mount horses of war.
We shall never again say ‘Our god’
to the work of our hands,
for in you the fatherless find compassion.”
5 I will forgive them for their apostasy,
and I will love them freely,
for my wrath is turned away from them.
6 I will be like the dew to Israel;
they will blossom like a lily;
they will strike root like the cedars of Lebanon.
7 They will put out fresh shoots;
their splendor shall be like that of the olive tree
and their fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
8 They shall again dwell in my shade
and once again flourish like grain.
They shall blossom like the vine,
and their fame will be like that of the wine of Lebanon.
9 What further dealings does Ephraim have with idols?
I hear you and look out for your welfare.
I am like an evergreen cypress;
your prosperity derives from me.
Final Notice
10 Let those who are wise understand these words,
and let the prudent acknowledge them.
For straight are the ways of the Lord;
the upright walk in them,
but sinners stumble.[c]
22 Trust in God.[a] Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore, heed my words. Do not be concerned about your life and what you will have to eat, or about your body and what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
24 “Consider the ravens. They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn, and yet God feeds them. You are of far greater importance than birds. 25 Can any of you through worrying add a single moment to your span of life? 26 If then such a small thing is beyond your power, why should you be concerned about the rest?
27 “Consider the lilies and how they grow. They neither labor nor spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his royal splendor was clothed like one of these. 28 If God so clothes the grass that grows today in the field and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
29 “Hence, do not be greatly concerned about what you are to eat and what you are to drink. Do not worry. 30 The nations of the world are concerned for all these things. Your Father is aware of your needs. 31 Rather, seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.