Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
56 1 David being brought to Achish the king of Gath, 1 Sam. 21:12, complaineth of his enemies, demandeth succor, 3 Putteth his trust in God and in his promises, 12 And promiseth to perform his vows which he had taken upon him, whereof this was the effect, to praise God in his Church.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David on Michtam, concerning the [a]dumb dove in a far country, when the Philistines took him in Gath.
1 Be merciful unto me, O God, for [b]man would swallow me up: he fighteth continually and vexeth me.
2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for many fight against me, O thou most High.
3 When I was afraid, I trusted in thee.
4 I will rejoice in God, because of his [c]word, I trust in God, and will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5 Mine own [d]words grieve me daily: all their thoughts are against me to do me hurt.
6 [e]They gather together, and keep themselves close: they mark my steps, because they wait for my soul.
7 [f]They think they shall escape by iniquity: O God, cast these people down in thine anger.
8 Thou hast counted my wanderings; put my [g]tears into thy bottle; are they not in thy register?
9 When I cry, then mine enemies shall turn back; this I know, for God is with me.
10 I will rejoice in God because of his word; in the Lord will I rejoice because of his word.
11 In God do I trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12 [h]Thy vows are upon me, O God, I will render praises unto thee.
13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, and also my feet from falling, that I may [i]walk before God in the [j]light of the living.
5 1 Naaman the Syrian is healed of his leprosy. 16 Elisha refuseth his gifts. 27 Gehazi is stricken with leprosy, because he took money and raiment of Naaman.
1 Now was there one Naaman captain of the host of the King of Aram, a great man, and honorable in the sight of his lord, because that by him the Lord had [a]delivered the Aramites. He also was a mighty man and valiant, but a leper.
2 And the Aramites had gone out by bands, and had taken a little maid of the land of Israel, and she [b]served Naaman’s wife.
3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the [c]Prophet that is in Samaria, he would soon deliver him of his leprosy.
4 And [d]he went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus saith the maid that is of the land of Israel.
5 And the king of Aram said, Go thy way thither, and I will send a letter unto the King of Israel. And he departed, and [e]took [f]with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiments,
6 And brought the letter to the king of Israel to this effect, Now when this letter is come unto thee, understand, that I have sent thee Naaman my servant, that thou mayest heal him of his leprosy.
7 And when the king of Israel had read the letter, he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God to kill and to give life that he doth send to me, that I should heal a man from his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
8 But when Elisha the man of God had heard that the King of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent unto the King, saying, [g]Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a Prophet in Israel.
9 ¶ Then Naaman came with his horses, and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash thee in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be cleansed.
11 But Naaman was [h]wroth and went away, and said, Behold, I thought with myself, He will surely come out, and stand, and call on the Name of the Lord his God, and put his hand on the place, and heal the leprosy.
12 Are not Abanah and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash me in them, and be cleansed? so he turned, and departed in displeasure.
13 But his servants came, and spake unto him, and said, [i]Father, if the Prophet had commanded thee a great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and (A)washed himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again, like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
13 Wherefore, let him that speaketh a strange tongue, [a]pray that he may interpret.
14 [b]For [c]if I pray in a strange tongue, my [d]spirit prayeth: but mine understanding is [e]without fruit.
15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the [f]understanding also: I will sing with the spirit: but I will sing with the understanding also.
16 [g]Else, when thou blessest with the [h]spirit, how shall he that [i]occupieth the room of the unlearned, say [j]Amen, at thy giving of thanks, seeing he knowest not what thou sayest?
17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 [k]I thank my God, I speak languages more than ye all.
19 Yet had I rather in the Church to speak [l]five words with mine understanding, that I might also instruct others, than ten thousand words in a strange tongue.
20 [m]Brethren, be not (A)children in understanding, but as concerning maliciousness be children, but in understanding be of a ripe age.
21 In the [n]Law it is written, (B)By men of other tongues, and by other languages will I speak unto this people: yet so shall they not hear me, saith the Lord.
22 [o]Wherefore strange tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
23 [p]If therefore, when the whole Church is come together in one, and all speak strange tongues, there come in they that are [q]unlearned, or they which believe not, will they not say, that ye are out of your wits?
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is rebuked of all men, and is judged of all,
25 And so are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so he will fall down on his face and worship God, and say plainly that God is in you indeed.
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