Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 80[a]
Prayer for the Persecuted People
1 For the director.[b] According to “Lilies.” Eduth. A psalm of Asaph.
2 [c]Listen to us, O shepherd of Israel,[d]
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
As you sit enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
3 over Ephraim,[e] Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Stir up your power
and come to save us.
4 Restore us, O Lord of hosts;
let your face shine[f] upon us,
and we will be saved.
5 O Lord of hosts,[g]
how long will you be angry
at your people’s prayers?
6 You have fed them with the bread of tears
and made them drink tears beyond measure.
7 You have made us an object of contention to our neighbors,
a source of mockery to our enemies.
Israel Saved despite Its Sins
10 Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the ends of the earth.
Let the sea resound and all that fills it,
the coastlands and all its inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its towns rejoice,
the villages where Kedar[a] dwells.
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy;
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them all give glory to God
and sing his praise in the coastlands.
13 The Lord marches forth like a hero;
like a warrior he stirs up his fury.
He shouts forth his battle cry
and triumphs against his foes.[b]
14 For a long time I have restrained myself;
I have maintained my silence and held my peace.
Now I will cry out like a woman in labor,
gasping and panting.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills
and dry up all their vegetation.
I will convert rivers into islands
and dry up the pools.
16 I will lead the blind[c]
and guide them along paths they do not know.
I will turn darkness into light before them
and make straight their winding roads.
These are the things I will do for them,
and I will not forsake them.
17 But those who place their trust in idols
and who say to carved images,
“You are our gods,”
will be turned back in bitter shame.
18 You who are deaf, listen!
You who are blind, look and see!
32 Do Not Abandon Your Assurance.[a] Remember the days gone by when, after you had been enlightened,[b] you endured a difficult struggle filled with suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes you were companions of those who were treated in the same way. 34 You not only had compassion upon those who were in prison but also cheerfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you realized that you possessed something better and more lasting.
35 Therefore, do not lose your confidence now, since your reward will be so great. 36 You need to be steadfast if you want to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.
37 “For, after a little while,
he who is to come will do so,
and he will not delay.
38 My righteous one shall live by faith,
but if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him.”
39 But we are not among those who draw back and are lost. Rather, we are among those who have faith and are saved.
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