Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
77 1 The Prophet in the Name of the Church rehearseth the greatness of his affliction, and his grievous temptations, 6 Whereby he was driven to this end to consider his former conversation, 11 and the continual course of God’s works in the preservation of his servants, and so he confirmeth his faith against these temptations.
For the excellent Musician (A)Jeduthun. A Psalm committed to Asaph.
1 My [a]voice came to God, when I cried: my voice came to God; and he heard me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: [b]my sore ran and ceased not in the night: my soul refused comfort.
3 I did think upon God, and was [c]troubled: I prayed, and my spirit was full of anguish. Selah.
4 Thou keepest mine eyes [d]waking: I was astonied, and could not speak.
5 Then I considered the days of old: and the years of ancient time.
6 I called to remembrance my [e]song in the night: I communed with mine own heart, and my spirit searched [f]diligently.
7 Will the Lord absent himself forever? and will he show no more favor?
8 Is his [g]mercy clean gone forever? doth his promise fail forevermore?
9 Hath God forgotten to be merciful? hath he shut up his tender mercies in displeasure? Selah.
10 And I said, This is my [h]death: yet I remembered the years of the right hand of the most High.
11 I remembered the works of the Lord: certainly I remembered thy wonders of old.
12 I did also meditate all thy works, and did devise of thine acts, saying,
13 Thy way, O God, is [i]in the Sanctuary: who is so great a [j]God, as our God!
14 Thou art the God that doest wonders; thou hast declared thy power among the people.
15 Thou hast redeemed thy people with thine arm, even the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16 The [k]waters saw thee, O God: the waters saw thee, and were afraid: yea, the depths trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water: the heavens gave a [l]sound: yea, thine arrows went abroad.
18 The voice of thy thunder was round about; the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not [m]known.
20 Thou didst lead thy people like sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
8 But I would inquire at [a]God, and turn my talk unto God:
9 Which [b]doeth great things, and unsearchable, and marvelous things without number.
10 He [c]giveth rain upon the earth, and poureth water upon the streets,
11 And setteth up on high them that be low, that the sorrowful may be exalted to salvation.
12 He scattereth the devices of the crafty: so that their hands cannot accomplish that which they do enterprise.
13 (A)He taketh the wise in their craftiness, and the counsel of the wicked is made foolish.
14 They meet with [d]darkness in the daytime, and [e]grope at noonday, as in the night.
15 But he saveth the [f]poor from the sword, from their [g]mouth, and from the hand of the violent man,
16 So that the poor hath his hope, but iniquity shall [h]stop her mouth.
17 Behold, blessed is the man whom God correcteth: therefore refuse not thou the chastising of the Almighty.
18 For he maketh the wound, and bindeth it up: he smiteth, and his hands make whole.
19 He shall deliver thee in [i]six troubles, and in the seventh the evil shall not touch thee.
20 In famine he shall deliver thee from death: and in battle from the power of the sword.
21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue, and thou shalt not be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
22 But thou shalt [j]laugh at destruction and dearth, and shalt not be afraid of the beast of the earth.
23 For the stones of the field [k]shall be in league with thee, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
24 And thou shalt know, that peace shall be in thy tabernacle, and thou shalt visit thine habitation, and shalt not [l]sin.
25 Thou shalt perceive also that thy seed shall be great, and thy posterity as the grass of the earth.
26 Thou shalt go to thy grave in [m]a full age, as a rick of corn cometh in due season into the barn.
27 Lo, [n]thus have we inquired of it, and so it is: hear this and know it for thyself.
8 [a]Finally, be ye all of one mind: one suffer with another: love as brethren: be pitiful, be courteous.
9 (A)[b]Not rendering evil for evil, neither rebuke for rebuke: but contrariwise bless, [c]knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should be heirs of blessing.
10 (B)[d]For if any man long after life, and to [e]see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.
11 (C)Let him eschew evil and do good: let him seek peace and follow after it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: and the [f]face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13 [g]And who is it that will harm you, if ye follow that which is good?
14 (D)Notwithstanding blessed are ye, if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake. [h]Yea, (E)fear not their [i]fear, neither be troubled.
15 But [j]sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, [k]and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and reverence.
16 Having a good conscience, that when they speak evil of you as of evil doers, they may be ashamed which slander your good conversation in Christ.
17 [l]For it is better (if the will of God be so) that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
18 (F)[m]For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, [n]the just for the unjust, [o]that he might bring us to God, [p]and was put to death concerning the [q]flesh, but was quickened by the spirit.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.