Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

To the Overcomer upon, Do not destroy, Michtam of David, when he fled from the presence of Saul in the cave.

¹ ¶ Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusts in thee; and in the shadow of thy wings I will make my refuge until these calamities are overpast.

² I will cry unto God most high, unto God that performs all things for me.

³ He shall send from the heavens and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

⁴ My soul is among lions, and I lie even among those that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.

⁵ Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

⁶ They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me, into the midst of which they are fallen themselves. Selah.

⁷ ¶ My heart is ready, O God, my heart is willing; I will sing and give praise.

⁸ Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; I myself will arise early.

⁹ I will praise thee, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing unto thee among the nations.

¹⁰ For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

¹¹ Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

³⁶ ¶ And Abigail came to Nabal, and, behold, he held a banquet in his house like the banquet of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken; therefore, she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

³⁷ But it came to pass in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

³⁸ And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, and he died.

³⁹ And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD that judged the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept his slave from evil, for the LORD has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent word unto Abigail to take her to him to wife.

⁴⁰ And when the slaves of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke with her, saying, David sent us unto thee to take thee to him to wife.

⁴¹ And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth and said, Behold, let thy handmaid be a slave to wash the feet of the slaves of my lord.

⁴² And Abigail hastened and arose and rode upon an ass with five damsels of hers that went after her, and she went after the messengers of David and became his wife.

³⁹ ¶ And he came out and went as he was wont to the mount of Olives, and his disciples also followed him.

⁴⁰ And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

⁴¹ And he withdrew from them about a stone’s cast and kneeled down and prayed,

⁴² saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

⁴³ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

⁴⁴ And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

⁴⁵ And when he rose up from prayer and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow

⁴⁶ and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.