Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
23 1 Because the Prophet had proved the great mercies of God at divers times, and in sundry manners, he gathereth a certain assurance, fully persuading himself that God will continue the very same goodness towards him forever.
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my (A)shepherd, [a]I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to rest in green pasture, and leadeth me by the still waters.
3 He [b]restoreth my soul, and leadeth me in the [c]paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I should walk through the valley of the [d]shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
5 Thou dost prepare a [e]table before me in the sight of mine adversaries: thou dost [f]anoint mine head with oil, and my cup runneth over.
6 Doubtless kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall remain a long season in the [g]house of the Lord.
10 The constellations of the stars are not to be feared. 5 The weakness of idols. 6 Of the power of God. 21 Their Pastors are become brute beasts.
1 Hear ye the word of the Lord that he speaketh unto you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not afraid for the [a]signs of heaven, though the heathen be afraid of such.
3 For the [b]customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest (which is the work of the hands of the carpenter) with the axe,
4 And another decketh it [c]with silver, and with gold: they fasten it with nails and hammers that it fall not.
5 The idols stand up as the palm tree, but speak not: they are borne because they cannot go: fear them not, for they cannot do evil, neither can they do good.
6 There is none like unto thee, O Lord: [d]thou art great, and thy Name is great in power.
7 Who would not fear thee, O king of nations? for to thee appertaineth the dominion: for among all the wise men of the Gentiles, and in all their kingdoms there is none like thee.
8 But altogether they dote, and are foolish: for the stock is a [e]doctrine of vanity.
9 Silver plates are brought from Tarshish, and gold [f]from Uphaz, for the work of the workman, and the hands of the founder: the blue silk, and the purple is their clothing: all these things are made by cunning men.
10 But the Lord is the God of truth: he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his anger the earth shall tremble, and the nations cannot abide his wrath.
11 (Thus shall you say unto them, The gods [g]that have not made the heavens and the earth, shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.)
12 He hath made the earth by his power, and established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his discretion.
13 He giveth by his voice the multitude of waters in the heaven, and he causeth the clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth: he turneth lightnings to rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
14 Every man is a [h]beast by his own knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his melting is but falsehood, and there is no breath therein.
15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
16 The [i]portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the maker of all things, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the Lord of hosts is his Name.
15 [a]Who is the (A)image of the invisible God, [b]the first begotten of every creature.
16 (B)For by him were all things created which are in heaven, and which are in earth, things visible and invisible: whether they be [c]Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers, all things were created by him, and for him.
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things consist.
18 [d]And he is the head of the body of the Church: he is the beginning, (C)and the [e]first begotten of the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 (D)For it pleased the Father, that in him should [f]all fullness dwell.
20 [g]And through peace made by that blood of that his cross, to reconcile to himself through him, through him, I say, [h]all things, both which are in earth, and which are in heaven.
21 [i]And you which were in times past strangers and enemies, because your minds were set in evil works, hath [j]he now also reconciled,
22 In that body of his [k]flesh through death, to make you holy and unblameable, and without fault in his sight.
23 [l]If ye continue, grounded and established in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, whereof ye have heard, and which hath been preached to [m]every creature, which is under heaven, [n]whereof I Paul am a minister.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.