Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

To the Overcomer, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.

¹ ¶ Why dost thou boast of evil, O strong man? The mercy of God is day by day.

² Thy tongue devises wickedness like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

³ Thou dost love evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

⁴ Thou dost love all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

⁵ God shall likewise cast thee down for ever; he shall cut thee off and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

⁶ ¶ The righteous also shall see and fear and shall laugh at him, saying:

⁷ Behold, this is the man that did not make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

⁸ But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the eternal mercy of God for ever.

⁹ I will praise thee for ever because thou hast done it, and I will wait on thy name, for it is good before thy merciful ones.

31 ¶ And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

² Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his people. Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

³ Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches and with a shadowing shroud and of a high stature; and his top was highest among the thick boughs.

⁴ The waters made him grow; the deep set him up on high; her rivers ran round his feet and sent her flow to all the trees of the field.

⁵ Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of his many waters, which he sent forth.

⁶ All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt many Gentiles.

⁷ He made himself beautiful in his greatness, with the extension of his branches: for his root was by many waters.

⁸ The cedars in the garden of God did not cover him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

⁹ I have made him beautiful with the multitude of his branches: and all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.

¹⁰ ¶ Therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he has shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;

¹¹ I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the strong one of the Gentiles; he shall surely deal with him; I have cut him down for his wickedness.

¹² And strangers, the strong ones of the Gentiles, shall cut him down and shall leave him; his branches shall fall upon the mountains and by all the valleys, and his boughs shall be broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth shall go forth from his shadow and shall leave him.

¹¹ ¶ Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with my own hand.

¹² As many as desire to please in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross {Gr. stauros – stake} of the Christ.

¹³ For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh.

¹⁴ But in no wise should I glory, except in the cross {Gr. stauros – stake} of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails any thing nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁸ Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.