Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

¹ ¶ LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.

² There are many who say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

³ But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter up of my head.

⁴ ¶ I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he answered me out of the mountain of his holiness. Selah.

⁵ I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for the LORD sustained me.

⁶ I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about.

⁷ Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God, for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the jawbone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

⁸ Salvation belongs unto the LORD; thy blessing shall be upon thy people. Selah.

⁵ ¶ Behold among the Gentiles and regard and wonder marvelously, for a work shall be done in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

⁶ For, behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which march through the breadth of the earth to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.

⁷ She is terrible and dreadful: from her herself shall go forth their rights and their grandeur.

⁸ Their horses shall be swifter than tigers and are sharper than the evening wolves, and their horsemen shall multiply themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as eagles that hasten to eat.

⁹ All of her shall come for the prey, before their faces an east wind, and they shall gather the captives as the sand.

¹⁰ And he shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto him, he shall deride every fortress and shall heap dust and take it.

¹¹ Then he shall become arrogant against God, and he shall pass ahead and shall be found guilty, imputing this his power unto his god.

¹² ¶ Art thou not from the beginning, O LORD my God, my Holy One? we shall not die, O LORD, thou hast ordained him for judgment, and thou hast established him strong for chastisement.

¹³ Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity: why dost thou look upon those that deal treacherously and hold thy tongue when the wicked devour the man that is more righteous than he?

¹⁴ And dost make men as the fishes of the sea, as reptiles that have no lord?

¹⁵ He shall take up all of them with his hook; he shall catch them in his net and gather them in his drag: therefore, he shall rejoice and be glad.

¹⁶ Therefore, he shall sacrifice unto his net and burn incense unto his drag because by them his portion is fat, and his food plenteous.

¹⁷ Shall he therefore empty his net, or have pity to stop slaying Gentiles continually?

² ¶ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse trials,

³ knowing that the proving of your faith works patience,

⁴ and the patience finishes the work, that ye may be perfect and entire, not lacking in anything.

⁵ And if any of you lacks wisdom, let them ask of God (who gives abundantly to all, and without reproach), and it shall be given them.

⁶ But ask in faith, not doubting anything. For he that doubts is like the wave of the sea which is driven of the wind and is tossed from one side to another.

⁷ For let not such a man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

⁸ The double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

⁹ Let the brother of low degree rejoice in his high status;

¹⁰ and he who is rich, in his low status, because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

¹¹ For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and its flower falls, and the beautiful appearance of it perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.