Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Remembering God’s Help for Israel
For the music director, on Jeduthun.[a]
Of Asaph. A psalm.[b]
77 I cry out with my voice to God;
with my voice to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day I have trouble, I seek[c] the Lord.
At night my hand stretches out continually;[d]
my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I remember God and I groan loudly;
I meditate and my spirit grows faint.
4 You hold open my eyelids.
I am troubled and cannot speak.
5 I think about the days from long ago,
the years of ancient times.
6 I remember my song in the night.
With my heart I meditate,
and my spirit searches to understand.
7 Will the Lord reject us forever,
and will he never be pleased with us again?
8 Has his loyal love ceased forever?
Is his promise[e] ended throughout generations?
9 Has God forgotten to have compassion?
Or has he closed off his mercies in anger? Selah
10 So I said, “This pierces me—[f]
the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will remember the deeds of Yah.[g]
Surely I will remember your wonders[h] from long ago.
12 I will also muse on all your work,
and meditate on your deeds.
13 O God, your way is distinctive.[i]
Who is a great god like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;[j]
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 With your arm you redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 Waters saw you, O God;
waters saw you and they trembled.
Surely the deeps shook.
17 The clouds poured out water.
The skies thundered.[k]
Your arrows also flew about.[l]
18 The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;[m]
lightnings lit the world;
the earth shook and quaked.
19 Your way was through the sea,
and your path[n] through many waters.
Yet your footprints were not discerned.[o]
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
8 “But I myself[a] will seek God,
and to God I would commit my cause.
9 He is doing great and unsearchable[b] things,
marvelous things without number[c]—
10 the one who is giving rain on the surface of[d] the earth
and is sending water on the surface of[e] the fields,
11 to set the lowly on high,
and those mourning are lifted to safety.
12 He is frustrating the devices of the crafty,
and their hands do not achieve success.
13 He is capturing the wise in their craftiness,
and the schemes of the wily are rushed.
14 In the daytime they meet with darkness,
and they grope at noon[f] as in the night.
15 And[g] he saves from the sword of[h] their mouth,
even[i] the poor from the hand of the strong.
16 So[j] there is hope[k] for the powerless,
and wickedness shuts its mouth.
17 “Look, happy is the human being whom God reproves;
and you must not despise the discipline of Shaddai,
18 for he himself[l] wounds, but[m] he binds up;
he strikes, but[n] his hands heal.
19 From[o] six troubles he will deliver you,
and in seven evil shall not touch you.
20 In famine he will redeem you from death,
and in war from the power of[p] the sword.
21 From the scourge of the tongue you shall be hidden,
and you shall not be afraid of[q] destruction when it comes.
22 At destruction and famine[r] you shall laugh,
and you shall not fear the wild animals of the earth.
23 For your covenant will be with the stones of the field,
and the wild animals[s] of the field will be at peace with you.
24 And you shall know that your tent is safe,
and you will inspect your fold, and you shall not be missing anything.
25 And you shall know that your offspring are many,
and your descendants like the vegetation of the earth.
26 You shall come in maturity to the grave,
as the raising up of a stack of sheaves in its season.
27 “Look, we have searched this out—it is true;
hear it and know it yourself.”[t]
Called to Inherit a Blessing
8 And finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, showing mutual affection, compassionate, humble, 9 not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the other hand blessing others, because for this reason you were called, so that you could inherit a blessing. 10 For
“The one who wants to love life
and see good days
must keep his[a] tongue from evil
and his lips must not speak deceit.
11 And he must turn away from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.[b]
Suffer for Doing What is Good
13 And who is the one who will harm you if you are a zealous adherent for what is good? 14 But even if you might suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their intimidation or be disturbed,[c] 15 but set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense to anyone who asks you for an accounting concerning the hope that is in you. 16 But do so with courtesy and respect, having a good conscience, so that in the things in which you are slandered, the ones who malign your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it[d], than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins,
the just for the unjust,
in order that he could bring you to God,
being put to death in the flesh,
but made alive in the spirit,
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