Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
[a]Maskil of David, when he was [b]in the cave. A Prayer.
142 I (A)cry out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I (B)implore the Lord for compassion.
2 I (C)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (D)trouble before Him.
3 When (E)my spirit felt weak within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have (F)hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see;
For there is (G)no one who regards me favorably;
[c]There is no (H)escape for me;
(I)No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, Lord;
I said, “You are (J)my refuge,
My (K)portion in the (L)land of the living.
6 (M)Give Your attention to my cry,
For I have been (N)brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are too (O)strong for me.
7 (P)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will (Q)look after me.”
God’s People Saved
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to [a]Shigionoth.
2 Lord, I have (A)heard [b]the report about You, and [c]I was (B)afraid.
Lord, (C)revive (D)Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known.
In anger remember [d](E)mercy.
3 God comes from (F)Teman,
And the Holy One from Mount (G)Paran. Selah
His (H)splendor covers the heavens,
And the (I)earth is full of His praise.
4 His (J)radiance is like the sunlight;
He has rays flashing from His hand,
And the hiding of His (K)might is there.
5 Before Him goes (L)plague,
And (M)plague comes forth [e]after Him.
6 He stood and caused the earth to shudder;
He looked and (N)caused the nations to jump.
Yes, the everlasting mountains were shattered,
The ancient hills [f]collapsed.
His paths are (O)everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan under (P)distress,
The tent curtains of the land of (Q)Midian were trembling.
8 Did the Lord rage against the (R)rivers,
Or was Your anger against the rivers,
Or was Your rage against the (S)sea,
That You (T)rode on Your horses,
On Your (U)chariots of salvation?
9 You removed Your (V)bow from its holder,
The arrows of Your word were [g]sworn. Selah
You (W)divided the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and quaked;
The downpour of waters swept by.
The deep (X)raised its voice,
It lifted high its hands.
11 (Y)Sun and moon stood in their lofty places;
They went away at the (Z)light of Your arrows,
At the radiance of Your flashing spear.
12 In indignation You (AA)marched through the earth;
In anger You [h](AB)trampled the nations.
13 You went forth for the (AC)salvation of Your people,
For the salvation of Your (AD)anointed.
You smashed the (AE)head of the house of evil
To uncover him from [i]foot to neck. Selah
14 You pierced with his (AF)own [j]arrows
The head of his [k]leaders.
They (AG)stormed in to scatter [l]us;
Their arrogance was like those
Who (AH)devour the oppressed in secret.
15 You (AI)trampled on the sea with Your horses,
On the (AJ)foam of many waters.
5 Now I want to (A)remind you, though (B)you know everything once and for all, that [a]the Lord, (C)after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, [b]subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And (D)angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling place, these He has (E)kept in eternal restraints under darkness for the judgment of the great day, 7 just as (F)Sodom and Gomorrah and the (G)cities around them, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in sexual perversion and (H)went after [c]strange flesh, are exhibited as an [d](I)example in undergoing the (J)punishment of eternal fire.
8 Yet in the same way these people also, dreaming, (K)defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak abusively of angelic [e]majesties. 9 But (L)Michael (M)the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about (N)the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him an abusive judgment, but said, “(O)The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But (P)these people disparage all the things that they do not understand; and (Q)all the things that they know by instinct, (R)like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone (S)the way of Cain, and for pay [f]they have given themselves up to (T)the error of Balaam, and (U)perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are the ones who are [g]hidden reefs (V)in your love feasts when they feast with you (W)without fear, like shepherds caring only for themselves; (X)clouds without water, (Y)carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, [h]doubly dead, (Z)uprooted; 13 (AA)wild waves of the sea, churning up (AB)their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars, (AC)for whom the [i]gloom of darkness has been reserved forever.
14 It was also about these people that (AD)Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “(AE)Behold, the Lord has come with [j]many thousands of His holy ones, 15 (AF)to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which (AG)ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These are (AH)grumblers, finding fault, (AI)following after their own lusts; [k]they speak (AJ)arrogantly, flattering people (AK)for the sake of gaining an advantage.
Keep Yourselves in the Love of God
17 But you, (AL)beloved, (AM)ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by (AN)the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “(AO)In the last time there will be mockers, (AP)following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, [l](AQ)worldly-minded, [m]devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, (AR)beloved, (AS)building yourselves up on your most holy (AT)faith, (AU)praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, (AV)looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
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