Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Wishing to Be Near God
A psalm of David when he was in the ·desert [wilderness] of Judah [C fleeing from a jealous Saul; 1 Sam. 21–31].
63 God, you are my God.
I ·search for [am intent on] you.
I thirst for you [42:1–2]
·like someone [or my flesh yearns for you] in a dry, ·empty [exhausted; weary] land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in ·the Temple [L the Holy Place; or holiness]
and have seen your strength and glory.
3 Because your ·love [loyalty] is better than life,
·I [L My lips] will praise you.
4 I will ·praise [bless] you ·as long as I live [L with my life].
I will lift up my hands in your name [C in prayer].
5 I will be ·content as if I had eaten the best foods [L satisfied as with fat and fatness].
My lips will sing, and my mouth will praise you.
6 I remember you while I’m lying in bed;
I ·think about [meditate on] you through the watches of the night [C the night was divided into four watches of three hours each].
7 You are my help.
·Because of your protection [L In the shadow of your wings; C an image of compassion or perhaps a reference to the cherubim whose wings covered the Ark of the Covenant; Ex. 25:20], I sing.
8 I ·stay close [cling] to you;
·you support me with your right hand [L your right hand sustains me].
9 ·Some people are trying to kill me [L They seek my life for ruin],
but they will go down to the ·grave [L underbelly of the earth].
10 They will be ·killed with swords [L handed over to the sword]
and ·eaten by wild dogs [L be the prey of jackals].
11 But the king will rejoice in his God.
All who ·make promises in his name [L swear by him] will praise him,
but the mouths of liars will be shut.
David Is Made King of Judah
2 Later, David ·prayed to [consulted; inquired of] the Lord, saying, “Should I ·go up [move back; return] to any of the ·cities [or towns] of Judah?”
The Lord said to David, “·Go [Move back; Return].”
David asked, “·Where [To which town] should I go?”
The Lord answered, “To Hebron [C in the heartland of Judah, David’s tribe].”
2 So David went up to Hebron with his two wives: Ahinoam from Jezreel [1 Sam. 25:43] and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel [1 Sam. 25:39–42]. 3 David also brought his men and their ·families [households], and they all ·made their homes in the cities of [settled in the villages near] Hebron. 4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and ·appointed [anointed] David king over [the people/house of] Judah.
They told David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul [1 Sam. 31:11–13]. 5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead and said to them, “The Lord bless you. You have shown ·loyalty [kindness; faithful love] to your master Saul by burying him. 6 May the Lord now ·be loyal [show kindness/faithful love] and ·true [faithfulness] to you. I will also ·treat you well [show this goodness to you; reward you] because you have done this. 7 Now ·be [L let your hands be] strong and ·brave [valiant]. Saul your ·master [lord] is dead, and the ·people [L house] of Judah have appointed me their king.”
Victory over the World
25 “I have told you these things ·indirectly in stories [in parables/figurative speech]. But ·the time [L the hour] will come when I will ·not [no longer] use ·stories like that [parables; figurative speech; 10:6] to tell you things; I will speak to you in plain words about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask the Father for things in my name. I mean, I will not need to ask the Father for you. 27 [L For] The Father himself loves you. He loves you because you loved me and believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29 Then the ·followers [disciples] of Jesus said, “You are speaking ·clearly [plainly] to us now and are not using ·stories that are hard to understand [parables; figurative speech]. 30 We can see now that you know all things. ·You can answer a person’s question even before it is asked. [L You do not need anyone to question you.] This makes us believe you came from God.”
31 Jesus answered, “So now you believe? 32 Listen to me; ·a time [L an hour] is coming when you will be scattered, each to your own home [compare Zech. 13:7]. That time is now here. You will leave me alone, but I am ·never really [L not] alone, because the Father is with me.
33 “I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have ·trouble [persecution; suffering], but ·be brave [take courage/heart]! I have ·defeated [victory over; conquered; overcome] the world.”
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