Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

18 Unto the end. A psalm for David.

² The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.

³ Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth knowledge.

³ And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying: If you turn to the Lord with all your heart, put away the strange gods from among you, Baalim and Astaroth: and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

⁴ Then the children of Israel put away Baalim and Astaroth, and served the Lord only.

⁵ And Samuel said: Gather all Israel to Masphath, that I may pray to the Lord for you.

⁶ And they gathered together to Masphath: and they drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and they fasted on that day, and they said there: We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Masphath.

⁷ And the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Masphath, and the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard this, they were afraid of the Philistines.

⁸ And they said to Samuel: Cease not to cry to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

⁹ And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it whole for a holocaust to the Lord: and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.

¹⁰ And it came to pass, when Samuel was offering the holocaust, the Philistines began the battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and terrified them, and they were overthrown before the face of Israel.

¹¹ And the men of Israel going out of Masphath pursued after the Philistines, and made slaughter of them till they came under Bethchar.

¹² And Samuel took a stone, and laid it between Masphath and Sen: and he called the place, the Stone of help. And he said: Thus far the Lord hath helped us.

¹³ And the Philistines were humbled, and they did not come any more into the borders of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines, all the days of Samuel.

2 Wherefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself. For thou dost the same things which thou judgest.

² For we know that the judgment of God is, according to truth, against them that do such things.

³ And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them who do such things, and dost the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

⁴ Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and patience, and longsuffering? Knowest thou not, that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance?

⁵ But according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of God.

⁶ Who will render to every man according to his works.

⁷ To them indeed, who according to patience in good work, seek glory and honour and incorruption, eternal life:

⁸ But to them that are contentious, and who obey not the truth, but give credit to iniquity, wrath and indignation.

⁹ Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek.

¹⁰ But glory, and honour, and peace to every one that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

¹¹ For there is no respect of persons with God.