Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me,(A) Lord,
and you know(B) me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;(C)
you perceive my thoughts(D) from afar.
3 You discern my going out(E) and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.(F)
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.(G)
5 You hem me in(H) behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(I)
too lofty(J) for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee(K) from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens,(L) you are there;
if I make my bed(M) in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,(N)
your right hand(O) will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark(P) to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses(A) and chariots, horsemen[a] and troops(B)—pursued the Israelites and overtook(C) them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.(D)
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried(E) out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?(F) What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”(G)
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.(H) Stand firm and you will see(I) the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see(J) again. 14 The Lord will fight(K) for you; you need only to be still.”(L)
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?(M) Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff(N) and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water(O) so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts(P) of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.(Q) And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(R) when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
19 Then the angel of God,(S) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud(T) also moved from in front and stood behind(U) them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness(V) to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand(W) over the sea,(X) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind(Y) and turned it into dry land.(Z) The waters were divided,(AA) 22 and the Israelites went through the sea(AB) on dry ground,(AC) with a wall(AD) of water on their right and on their left.
23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen(AE) followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud(AF) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.(AG) 25 He jammed[b] the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting(AH) for them against Egypt.”(AI)
True and False Prophets
15 “Watch out for false prophets.(A) They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.(B) 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.(C) Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?(D) 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.(E) 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(F) 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
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