Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A prayer of David when he was in the cave. A maskil.
142 I call out to the Lord.
I pray to him for mercy.
2 I pour out my problem to him.
I tell him about my trouble.
3 When I grow weak,
you are watching over my life.
In the path where I walk,
people have hidden a trap to catch me.
4 Look and see that no one is on my right side to help me.
No one is concerned about me.
I have no place of safety.
No one cares whether I live or die.
5 Lord, I cry out to you.
I say, “You are my place of safety.
You are everything I need in this life.”
6 Listen to my cry.
I am in great need.
Save me from those who are chasing me.
They are too strong for me.
7 My troubles are like a prison.
Set me free so I can praise your name.
Then those who do what is right will gather around me
because you have been good to me.
Habakkuk Prays to the Lord
3 This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. It is on shigionoth. Here is what he said.
2 Lord, I know how famous you are.
I have great respect for you
because of your mighty acts.
Do them again for us.
Make them known in our time.
When you are angry,
please have mercy on us.
3 God came from Teman.
The Holy One came from Mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens.
His praise filled the earth.
4 His glory was like the sunrise.
Rays of light flashed from his mighty hand.
His power was hidden there.
5 He sent plagues ahead of him.
Sickness followed behind him.
6 When he stood up, the earth shook.
When he looked at the nations,
they trembled with fear.
The age-old mountains crumbled.
The ancient hills fell down.
But he marches on forever.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in trouble.
The people of Midian were suffering greatly.
8 Lord, were you angry with the rivers?
Were you angry with the streams?
Were you angry with the Red Sea?
You rode your horses and chariots
to overcome it.
9 You got your bow ready to use.
You asked for many arrows.
You broke up the surface
of the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you and shook.
Floods of water swept by.
The sea roared.
It lifted its waves high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in the sky.
They stopped because your flying arrows flashed by.
Your gleaming spear shone like lightning.
12 When you were angry, you marched across the earth.
Because of your anger you destroyed the nations.
13 You came out to set your people free.
You saved your chosen ones.
You crushed Pharaoh, the leader of that evil land of Egypt.
You stripped him from head to foot.
14 His soldiers rushed out to scatter us.
They were laughing at us.
They thought they would easily destroy us.
They saw us as weak people who were trying to hide.
So you wounded Pharaoh’s head with his own spear.
15 Your horses charged into the Red Sea.
They stirred up the great waters.
16 I listened and my heart pounded.
My lips trembled at the sound.
My bones seemed to rot.
And my legs shook.
But I will be patient.
I’ll wait for the day of trouble to come on Babylon.
It’s the nation that is attacking us.
5 I want to remind you about some things you already know. The Lord saved his people. At one time he brought them out of Egypt. But later he destroyed those who did not believe. 6 Some of the angels didn’t stay where they belonged. They didn’t keep their positions of authority. The Lord has kept those angels in darkness. They are held by chains that last forever. On judgment day, God will judge them. 7 The people of Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them also did evil things. They freely committed sexual sins. They committed sins of the worst possible kind. There is a fire that never goes out. Those people are an example of those who are punished with it.
8 In the very same way, these ungodly people act on their evil dreams. So they make their own bodies impure. They don’t accept authority. And they say evil things against heavenly beings. 9 But even Michael, the leader of the angels, didn’t dare to say these things. He didn’t even say these things when he argued with the devil about the body of Moses. Michael didn’t dare to judge the devil. He didn’t say the devil was guilty of saying evil things. Instead, Michael said, “May the Lord judge you!” 10 But these people say evil things against whatever they don’t understand. And the very things they do understand will destroy them. That’s because they are like wild animals that can’t think for themselves. Instead, they do what comes naturally to them.
11 How terrible it will be for them! They have followed the way of Cain. They have rushed into the same mistake Balaam made. They did it because they loved money. They are like Korah. He turned against his leaders. These people will certainly be destroyed, just as Korah was.
12 These ungodly people are like stains at the meals you share. They have no shame. They are shepherds who feed only themselves. They are like clouds without rain. They are blown along by the wind. They are like trees in the fall. Since they have no fruit, they are pulled out of the ground. So they die twice. 13 They are like wild waves of the sea. Their shame rises up like foam. They are like falling stars. God has reserved a place of very black darkness for them forever.
14 Enoch was the seventh man in the family line of Adam. He gave a prophecy about these people. He said, “Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones. 15 He is coming to judge everyone. He is coming to sentence all of them. He will judge them for all the ungodly acts they have done. They have done them in ungodly ways. He will sentence ungodly sinners for all the things they have said to oppose him.” 16 These people complain and find fault with others. They follow their own evil desires. They brag about themselves. They praise others to get what they want.
Remain in God’s Love
17 Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said would happen. 18 They told you, “In the last days, some people will make fun of the truth. They will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 They are the people who separate you from one another. They do only what comes naturally. They are not led by the Holy Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith. Let the Holy Spirit guide and help you when you pray. 21 And by doing these things, remain in God’s love as you wait. You are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.
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