Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
39 1 David uttereth with what great grief and bitterness of mind he was driven to these outrageous complaints of his infirmities. 2 For he confesseth that when he had determined silence, that he brast forth yet into words, that he would not, through the greatness of his grief. 4 Then he rehearseth certain requests which taste of the infirmity of man. 8 And mixeth with them many prayers: but all do show a mind wonderfully trembled, that it may plainly appear how he did strive mightily against death and desperation.
To the excellent Musician [a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1 I thought, [b]I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth bridled, while the wicked is in my sight.
2 I was dumb and spake nothing: I kept silence even from good, [c]and my sorrow was more stirred.
3 Mine heart was hot within me, and while I was musing, the fire kindled, and I [d]spake with my tongue, saying,
4 Lord, let me know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: let me know how long I have to live.
5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand breadth, and mine age as nothing in respect of thee: surely every man in his best state is altogether [e]vanity. Selah.
6 Doubtless man walketh in a shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain: he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.
7 And now Lord, what wait I for? mine hope is even in thee.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions, and make me not a rebuke unto the [f]foolish.
9 I should have been dumb, and not have opened my mouth, because [g]thou didst it.
10 Take thy plague away from me: for I am consumed by the stroke of thine hand.
11 When thou with rebukes dost chastise man for iniquity, thou as a moth [h]makest his [i]beauty to consume: surely every man is vanity. Selah.
12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hearken unto my cry: keep not silence at my tears, for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my fathers.
13 Stay thine anger from me, that I may recover my strength, [j]before I go hence and be not.
17 The parable of the two Eagles.
1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, put forth a parable and speak a proverb unto the house of Israel,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God, The great [a]eagle with great wings and long wings, and full of feathers, which had diverse colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar,
4 And brake off the top of his twig, and carried it into the land of [b]merchants, and set it in a city of merchants.
5 He took also of the [c]seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful ground: he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.
6 And it budded up, and was like [d]a spreading vine of [e]low stature, whose branches turned toward it, and the roots thereof were under it: so it became a vine, and it brought forth branches, and shot forth buds.
7 There was also [f]another great Eagle with great wings and many feathers, and behold, this vine did turn her roots toward it, and spread forth her branches toward it, that she might water it by the trenches of her plantation.
8 It was planted in a good soil by great [g]waters, that it should bring forth branches, and bear fruit, and be an excellent vine.
9 Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God, Shall it prosper? shall [h]he not pull up the roots thereof, and destroy the fruit thereof, and cause them to dry? all the leaves of her bud shall wither without great power, or many people, to pluck it up by the roots thereof.
10 Behold, it was planted: but shall it prosper? shall it not be dried up, and wither? [i]when the East wind shall touch it, it shall wither in the trenches, where it grew.
12 [a]For as many as have sinned without the Law, shall perish also without the Law: and as many as have sinned in the Law, shall be judged by the Law,
13 [b](For the hearers of the Law are not righteous before God: but the doers of the Law shall be [c]justified.
14 [d]For when the Gentiles which have [e]not the Law, do by [f]nature the things contained in the Law, they having not the Law, are a Law unto themselves,
15 Which show the effect of the Law [g]written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts accusing one another, or excusing.)
16 [h]At the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to [i]my Gospel.
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.