Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Jehovah praised for giving victory and dominion.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of Jehovah, ^[a]who spake unto Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: and he said,

³ And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto Jehovah with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts unto Jehovah, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. ⁴ Then the children of Israel did put away the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, and served Jehovah only.

⁵ And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you unto Jehovah. ⁶ And they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Jehovah, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah. ⁷ And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸ And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto Jehovah our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. ⁹ And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt-offering unto Jehovah: and Samuel cried unto Jehovah for Israel; and Jehovah answered him. ¹⁰ And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but Jehovah thundered with a great ^[a]thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten down before Israel. ¹¹ And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it ^[b]Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath Jehovah helped us. ¹³ So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more within the border of Israel: and the hand of Jehovah was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

2 Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest ^[a]another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things. ^2 [b]And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that practise such things. ³ And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? ⁵ but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶ who will render to every man according to his works: ⁷ to them that by ^[c]patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: ⁸ but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be 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 honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek: ¹¹ for there is no respect of persons with God.