Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 39
The Fleeting Nature of Life
For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A Davidic psalm.
1 I said, “I will guard my ways
so that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
as long as the wicked are in my presence.”(A)
2 I was speechless and quiet;
I kept silent, even from speaking good,
and my pain intensified.(B)
3 My heart grew hot within me;
as I mused, a fire burned.(C)
I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, reveal to me the end of my life
and the number of my days.
Let me know how short-lived I am.(D)
5 You, indeed, have made my days short in length,
and my life span as nothing in Your sight.
Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor.(E)
6 “Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow.
Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain,
gathering possessions
without knowing who will get them.(F)
7 Now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.(G)
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the taunt of fools.(H)
9 I am speechless; I do not open my mouth
because of what You have done.(I)
10 Remove Your torment from me;
I fade away because of the force of Your hand.(J)
11 You discipline a man with punishment for sin,
consuming like a moth what is precious to him;(K)
every man is only a vapor.(L)
17 When Moses sent them to scout out the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up this way to the Negev, then go up into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like, and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 Is the land they live in good(A) or bad? Are the cities they live in encampments or fortifications?(B) 20 Is the land fertile or unproductive?(C) Are there trees in it or not? Be courageous. Bring back some fruit from the land.” It was the season for the first ripe grapes.(D)
21 So they went up and scouted out the land from the Wilderness of Zin[a] as far as Rehob[b] near the entrance to Hamath.[c] 22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak,(E) were living. Hebron was built seven years before Zoan(F) in Egypt. 23 When they came to the Valley of Eshcol,(G) they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes, which was carried on a pole by two men. They also took some pomegranates and figs.(H) 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshcol[d] because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut there. 25 At the end of 40 days(I) they returned from scouting out the land.
Report about Canaan
26 The men went back to Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for them and the whole community, and they showed them the fruit of the land.(J) 27 They reported to Moses: “We went into the land where you sent us. Indeed it is flowing with milk and honey,(K) and here is some of its fruit.
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and of the Yeast
18 He said, therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like,(A) and what can I compare it to? 19 It’s like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.”
20 Again He said, “What can I compare the kingdom of God(B) to? 21 It’s like yeast(C) that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds[a] of flour until it spread through the entire mixture.”[b]
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