Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Psalm of David, Maschil.

¹ ¶ Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

² Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile.

³ When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

⁴ For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my green growth is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

⁵ I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and I have not hid my iniquity. I said, I will confess (against myself) my rebellions unto the LORD, and thou shalt forgive the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

⁶ For this shall every one that is merciful pray unto thee in the time when thou may be found; surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come near unto him.

⁷ ¶ Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

⁸ I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will fix mine eyes upon thee.

⁹ Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in subjection with bit and bridle, or they will not come near unto thee.

¹⁰ There are many sorrows for the wicked; but he that waits in the LORD, mercy shall compass him round about.

¹¹ Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, ye righteous, and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

15 ¶ And it came to pass after this that Absalom prepared himself chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him.

² And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate; and when anyone that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto them and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy slave is of one of the tribes of Israel.

³ And Absalom would say unto them, See, thy matters are good and just; but there is no one delegated by the king to hear thee.

⁴ And Absalom would say, Oh, that I were made judge in the land, that everyone who has any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!

⁵ And it was so, that when anyone came near unto him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him.

⁶ And Absalom did according to this manner with all Israel that came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of those of Israel.

⁷ ¶ And at the end of a predetermined period of forty years, it came to pass that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go to Hebron and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD.

⁸ For thy slave vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.

⁹ And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose and went to Hebron.

¹⁰ But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the shofar, then ye shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron.

¹¹ And two hundred men of Jerusalem went with Absalom, that were invited by him, and they went in their integrity, without knowing anything.

¹² Absalom also sent for Ahithophel, the Gilonite, of David’s counsel, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

11 ¶ I say then, Has God cast away his people? No, in no wise. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

² God has not cast away his people whom he knew beforehand. Know ye not what the scripture says of Elijah? how speaking to God against Israel, he said,

³ Lord, they have killed thy prophets and ruined thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

⁴ But what did the answer of God say unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee before Baal.

⁵ Even so then at this present time also, there is a remnant by the gracious election of God.

⁶ And if by grace, then is it not by works; otherwise, the grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, then it is no longer grace; otherwise, the work is no longer work.

⁷ What then? Israel has not obtained that which he seeks after; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded

⁸ (according as it is written, God has given them the spirit of anguish, eyes with which they do not see and ears with which they do not hear) unto this day.

⁹ And David says, Let their table be turned into a snare and a net and a stumblingblock and a recompense unto them;

¹⁰ Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bow down their back always.