Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Psalm.

¹ ¶ O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he has done marvellous things; his right hand has gotten him the victory, even the arm of his holiness.

² The LORD has made known his saving health; he has openly showed his righteousness in the sight of the Gentiles.

³ He has remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the saving health of our God.

⁴ ¶ Sing with joy unto the LORD, all the earth; lift up thy voice and rejoice and sing praises.

⁵ Sing praises unto the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the voice of a song.

⁶ With trumpets and the sound of the shofar make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

⁷ Let the sea roar and the fullness thereof, the world and those that dwell therein.

⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains be joyful together

⁹ before the LORD; for he has come to judge the earth; with righteousness he shall judge the world and the peoples with equity.

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah in his own city. And Saul had removed the spiritists and the diviners out of the land.

⁴ And the Philistines gathered themselves together and came and pitched camp in Shunem, and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched camp in Gilboa.

⁵ And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.

⁶ And Saul enquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams nor by Urim nor by prophets.

⁷ ¶ Then Saul said unto his slaves, Seek me a woman that is a spiritist that I may go to her and enquire of her. And his slaves said to him, Behold, there is a woman that is a spiritist at Endor.

⁸ And Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing, and he went with two men, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by spiritism and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee.

⁹ And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul has done, how he has cut off the spiritists and the diviners out of the land; why then dost thou lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

¹⁰ And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD lives, no iniquity shall come upon thee for this thing.

¹¹ Then the woman said, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

¹² And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? For thou art Saul.

¹³ And the king said unto her, Do not be afraid. What didst thou see? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods rising out of the land.

¹⁴ And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man comes, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and worshipped.

¹⁵ ¶ And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me and no longer answers me neither by prophets nor by dreams; therefore, I have called thee that thou may make known unto me what I shall do.

¹⁶ Then Samuel said, Why then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thy enemy?

¹⁷ The LORD, therefore, has done as he spoke by me! For the LORD has rent the kingdom out of thy hand and given it to thy neighbour, even to David.

¹⁸ Because thou didst not hearken unto the voice of the LORD nor execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek; therefore, the LORD has done this thing unto thee today.

¹⁹ And the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; the LORD shall also deliver the camp of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of men, who hold back the truth with injustice;

¹⁹ ¶ because that which is known of God is manifest to them; for God has showed it unto them.

²⁰ For the invisible things of him, his eternal power and divinity, are clearly understood by the creation of the world and by the things that are made so that there is no excuse;

²¹ because having known God, they did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools

²³ and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man and of birds and of fourfooted beasts and of serpents.

²⁴ Therefore God also gave them over to the lusts of their own hearts for uncleanness, to contaminate their own bodies between themselves,

²⁵ who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for all ages. Amen.