Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
3 David driven forth of his kingdom, was greatly tormented in mind for his sins against God: 4 And therefore calleth upon God, and waxeth bold through his promises, against the great railings and terrors of his enemies, yea against death itself, which he saw present before his eyes. 7 Finally, he rejoiceth for the good success that God gave him and all the Church.
A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.
1 Lord, how are mine adversaries [a]increased? how many rise against me?
2 Many say to my soul, There is no help for him in God. [b]Selah.
3 But thou Lord art a buckler for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I did call unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy mountain. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept, and rose up again: for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid for [c]ten thousand of the people, that should beset me round about.
7 O Lord, arise: help me, my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone: thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.
8 [d]Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, and thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
5 Behold among the heathen, and regard, and wonder, and marvel: for I will work a work in your days: [a]ye will not believe it, though it be told you.
6 For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and furious nation, which shall go upon the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.
7 They are terrible and fearful: [b]their judgment, and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the wolves in the (A)evening: and their horsemen are many: and their horsemen shall come from far: they shall fly as the eagle hasting to meat.
9 They come all to spoil: for their faces shall be an [c]East wind, and they shall gather the captivity [d]as the sand.
10 And they shall mock the Kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every stronghold: for they shall gather [e]dust, and take it.
11 Then shall they [f]take a courage, and transgress and do wickedly, imputing this their power unto their god.
12 Art not thou of old, O Lord my God, mine holy One? we shall not [g]die: O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment, and O God, thou hast established them for correction.
13 Thou art of pure eyes, and canst not see evil: thou canst not behold wickedness: wherefore dost thou look upon the transgressors, and holdest thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man, that is more righteous than he?
14 And makest men as the [h]fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
15 They take up all with the angle: they catch it in their net, and gather it in their yarn, whereof they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore they sacrifice unto their [i]net, and burn incense unto their yarn, because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
17 Shall they therefore stretch out their net, and not spare continually to slay [j]the nations?
2 [a]My brethren, [b]count it exceeding joy, [c]when ye fall into divers tentations,
3 (A)[d]Knowing that the [e]trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,
4 [f]And let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.
5 [g]If any of you lack [h]wisdom, let him ask of God, which giveth to all men liberally, and reproacheth no man, and it shall be given him.
6 (B)But let him ask in faith, and [i]waver not: [j]for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the sea, tossed of the wind, and carried away.
7 Neither let that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in [k]all his ways.
9 [l]Let the brother of [m]low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 [n]Again, he that is [o]rich, in that he is made low: [p]for as the flower of the grass, shall he (C)vanish away.
11 For as when the sun riseth with heat, then the grass withereth, and his flower falleth away, and the goodly shape of it perisheth: even so shall the rich man wither away in all his [q]ways.
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.