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.
17 ¶ [a]Gather up thy wares out of the land, O thou that dwellest in the strong place.
18 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, at this time I will throw as with a sling the inhabitants of the land, and will trouble them, and they shall find it so.
19 Woe is me for my destruction, and my grievous plague: but I thought, Yet it [b]is my sorrow, and I will bear it.
20 [c]My Tabernacle is destroyed, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone from me, and are not: there is none to spread out my tent anymore, and to set up my curtains.
21 For the Pastors [d]are become beasts, and have not sought the Lord: therefore have they none understanding: and all the flocks of their pastures are scattered.
22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the [e]North country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.
23 O Lord, I know that [f]the way of man is not in himself, neither is it in man to walk and to direct his steps.
24 O Lord, correct me, but with [g]judgment, not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
25 Pour out [h]thy wrath upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy Name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.
16 ¶ [a]Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was [b]stirred in him, when he saw the city subject to [c]idolatry.
17 Therefore he disputeth in the Synagogue with the Jews, and with them that were religious, and in the market daily with [d]whomsoever he met.
18 [e]Then certain Philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, disputed with him, and some said, What will this [f]babbler say? Others said, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods (because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.)
19 And they took him, and brought him into [g]Mars’ street, saying, May we not know, what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things unto our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 [h]For all the Athenians and strangers which dwelt there, gave themselves to nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some news.
22 [i]Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ street, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too [j]superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your [k]devotions, I found an altar wherein was written, UNTO THE [l]UNKNOWN GOD. Whom ye then ignorantly worship, him show I unto you.
24 [m]God that made the world, and all things that are therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, (A)dwelleth not in temples made with hands.
25 (B)Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things,
26 [n]And hath made of [o]one blood all mankind, to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath assigned the seasons which were ordained before, and the bounds of their habitation,
27 That they should seek the Lord, if so be they might have [p]groped after him, and found him, though doubtless he be not far from every one of us.
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being, as also certain of your own Poets have said: For we are also his generation.
29 (C)Forasmuch then, as we are the generation of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone [q]graven by art and the invention of man.
30 [r]And the time of this ignorance God regarded not: but now he admonisheth all men everywhere to repent.
31 Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath appointed, whereof he hath given an [s]assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
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.