Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Grieving over Defeat in Battle, and Prayer for Help.
For the music director; according to [a]Shushan Eduth. A [b]Mikhtam of David, to teach; [c]when he fought with Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and killed twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
60 God, (A)You have rejected us. You have [d](B)broken us;
You have been (C)angry; (D)restore us!
2 You have made the [e](E)land quake, You have split it open;
(F)Heal its cracks, for it sways.
3 You have [f](G)made Your people experience hardship;
You have given us [g]wine to (H)drink that makes us stagger.
4 You have given a (I)banner to those who fear You,
That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
5 (J)That Your (K)beloved may be rescued,
(L)Save us with Your right hand, and answer [h]us!
6 God has spoken in His [i](M)holiness:
“I will triumph, I will divide up (N)Shechem, and measure out the Valley of (O)Succoth.
7 (P)Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
(Q)Ephraim also is the [j]helmet of My head;
Judah is My (R)scepter.
8 (S)Moab is My washbowl;
I will throw My sandal over (T)Edom;
Shout loud, (U)Philistia, because of Me!”
9 Who will bring me into the besieged city?
Who [k]will lead me to Edom?
10 Have You Yourself not (V)rejected us, God?
And (W)will You not go out with our armies, God?
11 Oh give us help against the enemy,
For (X)rescue [l]by man is worthless.
12 [m]Through God we will (Y)do valiantly,
And it is He who will (Z)trample down our enemies.
Ephraim’s Idolatry
13 (A)When Ephraim [a]spoke, there was trembling.
He (B)exalted himself in Israel,
But through (C)Baal he incurred guilt and died.
2 And now they sin more and more,
And make for themselves (D)cast metal images,
Idols [b](E)skillfully made from their silver,
All of them the (F)work of craftsmen.
They say of them, “Let the [c]people who sacrifice kiss the (G)calves!”
3 Therefore they will be like the (H)morning cloud
And like dew which [d]soon disappears,
Like (I)chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor,
And like (J)smoke from a chimney.
4 Yet I have been the (K)Lord your God
Since the land of Egypt;
And you were not to know (L)any god except Me,
For there is no savior (M)besides Me.
5 I [e](N)cared for you in the wilderness,
(O)In the land of drought.
6 As they had their pasture, they became (P)satisfied,
And as they became satisfied, their (Q)heart became proud;
Therefore they (R)forgot Me.
7 So I will be (S)like a lion to them;
Like a (T)leopard I will [f]lie in wait by the wayside.
8 I will confront them (U)like a bear deprived of her cubs,
And I will tear open [g]their chests;
I will also (V)devour them there like a lioness,
As a wild animal would tear them to pieces.
9 [h]It is to your own destruction, Israel,
That you are (W)against Me, against your (X)help.
10 Where then is your (Y)king,
That he might save you in all your cities;
And your (Z)judges, to whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 I (AA)gave you a king in My anger,
And (AB)took him away in My wrath.
12 The guilt of Ephraim is wrapped up;
His sin is (AC)stored up.
13 The pains of (AD)childbirth come on him;
He is (AE)not a wise son,
For [i]it is not the time that he should (AF)delay at the opening of the womb.
14 Shall I (AG)ransom them from the [j]power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from death?
(AH)Death, where are your [k]thorns?
Sheol, where is your sting?
(AI)Compassion will be hidden from My sight.
15 Though he (AJ)flourishes among the [l]reeds,
An (AK)east wind will come,
The wind of the Lord coming up from the wilderness;
And his fountain will (AL)become dry
And his spring will dry up;
It will (AM)plunder his treasury of every precious article.
16 [m]Samaria will pay the penalty for her (AN)guilt,
Because she has (AO)rebelled against her God.
(AP)They will fall by the (AQ)sword,
Their children will be [n](AR)slaughtered,
And their pregnant (AS)women will be ripped open.
2 (A)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time (B)for us as well, that God will open up to us a (C)door for (D)the word, so that we may proclaim (E)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also (F)been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear (G)in the way that I ought to proclaim it.
5 [a](H)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward (I)outsiders, [b](J)making the most of the opportunity. 6 (K)Your speech must always be [c]with grace, as though seasoned with (L)salt, so that you will know how you should (M)respond to each person.
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