Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
23 The steps of a man are established by Jehovah, and he delighteth in his way:
24 though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for Jehovah upholdeth his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread:
26 all the day he is gracious and lendeth, and his seed shall be a blessing.
27 Depart from evil, and do good, and dwell for evermore;
28 for Jehovah loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: They are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall possess the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous proffereth wisdom, and his tongue speaketh judgment;
31 the law of his God is in his heart; his goings shall not slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him:
33 Jehovah will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to possess the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see [it].
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading like a green tree in its native soil:
36 but he passed away, and behold, he was not; and I sought him, but he was not found.
37 Mark the perfect, and behold the upright, for the end of [that] man is peace;
38 but the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of Jehovah: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And Jehovah will help them and deliver them: he will deliver them from the wicked, and save them; for they trust in him.
8 And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 And the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah; they judged in Beer-sheba.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah,
5 and said to him, Behold, thou art become old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now appoint us a king to judge us, like all the nations.
6 And the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to Jehovah.
7 And Jehovah said to Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
8 According to all the deeds that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 And now hearken unto their voice; only, testify solemnly unto them, and declare unto them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10 And Samuel spoke all the words of Jehovah to the people that asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, on his chariot and among his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariots;
12 and [he will take them] that he may appoint for himself captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and that they may plough his ground, and reap his harvest, and make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters for perfumers, and cooks, and bakers.
14 And your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, the best, will he take and give to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his chamberlains and to his servants.
16 And he will take your bondmen, and your bondwomen, and your comeliest young men, and your asses, and use them for his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep. And ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye have chosen; and Jehovah will not answer you in that day.
6 Wherefore, leaving the word of the beginning of the Christ, let us go on [to what belongs] to full growth, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God,
2 of [the] doctrine of washings, and of imposition of hands, and of resurrection of [the] dead, and of eternal judgment;
3 and this will we do if God permit.
4 For it is impossible to renew again to repentance those once enlightened, and who have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have been made partakers of [the] Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the good word of God, and [the] works of power of [the] age to come,
6 and have fallen away, crucifying for themselves [as they do] the Son of God, and making a show of [him].
7 For ground which drinks the rain which comes often upon it, and produces useful herbs for those for whose sakes also it is tilled, partakes of blessing from God;
8 but bringing forth thorns and briars, it is found worthless and nigh to a curse, whose end [is] to be burned.
9 But we are persuaded concerning you, beloved, better things, and connected with salvation, even if we speak thus.
10 For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work, and the love which ye have shewn to his name, having ministered to the saints, and [still] ministering.
11 But we desire earnestly that each one of you shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end;
12 that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience have been inheritors of the promises.
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