Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Wishing to Be Near God
For the director of music. A maskil of the sons of Korah.
42 As a deer thirsts for streams of water,
so I thirst for you, God.
2 I thirst for the living God.
When can I go to meet with him?
3 Day and night, my tears have been my food.
People are always saying,
“Where is your God?”
4 When I remember these things,
I speak with a broken heart.
I used to walk with the crowd
and lead them to God’s Temple
with songs of praise.
5 Why am I so sad?
Why am I so upset?
I should put my hope in God
and keep praising him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
I am very sad.
So I remember you where the Jordan River begins,
near the peaks of Hermon and Mount Mizar.
7 Troubles have come again and again, sounding like waterfalls.
Your waves are crashing all around me.
8 The Lord shows his true love every day.
At night I have a song,
and I pray to my living God.
9 I say to God, my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why am I sad
and troubled by my enemies?”
10 My enemies’ insults make me feel
as if my bones were broken.
They are always saying,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why am I so sad?
Why am I so upset?
I should put my hope in God
and keep praising him,
my Savior and my God.
A Better Time Is Coming
17 In a very short time, Lebanon will become rich farmland,
and the rich farmland will seem like a forest.
18 At that time the deaf will hear the words in a book.
Instead of having darkness and gloom, the blind will see.
19 The Lord will make the poor people happy;
they will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 Then the people without mercy will come to an end;
those who do not respect God will disappear.
Those who enjoy doing evil will be gone:
21 those who lie about others in court,
those who trap people in court,
those who lie and take justice from innocent people in court.
22 This is what the Lord who set Abraham free says to the family of Jacob:
“Now the people of Jacob will not be ashamed
or disgraced any longer.
23 When they see all their children,
the children I made with my hands,
they will say my name is holy.
They will agree that the Holy One of Jacob is holy,
and they will respect the God of Israel.
24 People who do wrong will now understand.
Those who complain will accept being taught.”
The Apostles Heal Many
12 The apostles did many signs and miracles among the people. And they would all meet together on Solomon’s Porch. 13 None of the others dared to join them, but all the people respected them. 14 More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to the group of believers. 15 The people placed their sick on beds and mats in the streets, hoping that when Peter passed by at least his shadow might fall on them. 16 Crowds came from all the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those who were bothered by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.