Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

130 A Song of the Ascents. From depths I have called Thee, Jehovah.

² Lord, hearken to my voice, Thine ears are attentive to the voice of my supplications.

³ If iniquities Thou dost observe, O Lord, who doth stand?

⁴ But with Thee [is] forgiveness, that Thou mayest be feared.

⁵ I hoped [for] Jehovah -- hoped hath my soul, And for His word I have waited.

⁶ My soul [is] for the Lord, More than those watching for morning, Watching for morning!

⁷ Israel doth wait on Jehovah, For with Jehovah [is] kindness, And abundant with Him [is] redemption.

⁸ And He doth redeem Israel from all his iniquities!

⁴ These [are] births of the heavens and of the earth in their being prepared, in the day of Jehovah God's making earth and heavens;

⁵ and no shrub of the field is yet in the earth, and no herb of the field yet sprouteth, for Jehovah God hath not rained upon the earth, and a man there is not to serve the ground,

⁶ and a mist goeth up from the earth, and hath watered the whole face of the ground.

⁷ And Jehovah God formeth the man -- dust from the ground, and breatheth into his nostrils breath of life, and the man becometh a living creature.

⁸ And Jehovah God planteth a garden in Eden, at the east, and He setteth there the man whom He hath formed;

⁹ and Jehovah God causeth to sprout from the ground every tree desirable for appearance, and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

¹⁰ And a river is going out from Eden to water the garden, and from thence it is parted, and hath become four chief [rivers];

¹¹ the name of the one [is] Pison, it [is] that which is surrounding the whole land of the Havilah where the gold [is],

¹² and the gold of that land [is] good, there [is] the bdolach and the shoham stone;

¹³ and the name of the second river [is] Gibon, it [is] that which is surrounding the whole land of Cush;

¹⁴ and the name of the third river [is] Hiddekel, it [is] that which is going east of Asshur; and the fourth river is Phrat.

⁴ And a great multitude having gathered, and those who from city and city were coming unto him, he spake by a simile:

⁵ `The sower went forth to sow his seed, and in his sowing some indeed fell beside the way, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the heaven did devour it.

⁶ `And other fell upon the rock, and having sprung up, it did wither, through not having moisture.

⁷ `And other fell amidst the thorns, and the thorns having sprung up with it, did choke it.

⁸ `And other fell upon the good ground, and having sprung up, it made fruit an hundred fold.' These things saying, he was calling, `He having ears to hear -- let him hear.'

⁹ And his disciples were questioning him, saying, `What may this simile be?'

¹⁰ And he said, `To you it hath been given to know the secrets of the reign of God, and to the rest in similes; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

¹¹ `And this is the simile: The seed is the word of God,

¹² and those beside the way are those hearing, then cometh the Devil, and taketh up the word from their heart, lest having believed, they may be saved.

¹³ `And those upon the rock: They who, when they may hear, with joy do receive the word, and these have no root, who for a time believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

¹⁴ `And that which fell to the thorns: These are they who have heard, and going forth, through anxieties, and riches, and pleasures of life, are choked, and bear not to completion.

¹⁵ `And that in the good ground: These are they, who in an upright and good heart, having heard the word, do retain [it], and bear fruit in continuance.