Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Prayer of David.

17 Hear the right, O Jehovah, attend unto my cry; give ear unto my prayer, which is not out of feigned lips.

² Let my judgment come forth from thy presence, let thine eyes regard equity.

³ Thou hast proved my heart, thou hast visited me by night; thou hast tried me, thou hast found nothing: my thought goeth not beyond my word.

⁴ Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept from the paths of the violent [man].

⁵ When thou holdest my goings in thy paths, my footsteps slip not.

⁶ I have called upon thee, for thou answerest me, O God. Incline thine ear unto me, hear my speech.

⁷ Shew wondrously thy loving-kindnesses, O thou that savest by thy right hand them that trust [in thee] from those that rise up [against them].

⁸ Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

⁹ From the wicked that destroy me, my deadly enemies, who compass me about.

¹⁰ They are enclosed in their own fat; with their mouth they speak proudly.

¹¹ They have now encompassed us in our steps; their eyes have they set, bowing down to the earth.

¹² He is like a lion that is greedy of its prey, and as a young lion lurking in secret places.

¹³ Arise, Jehovah, anticipate him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, thy sword;

¹⁴ From men [who are] thy hand, O Jehovah, from men of this age: their portion is in [this] life, and their belly thou fillest with thy hid [treasure]; they have their fill of sons, and leave the rest of their [substance] to their children.

¹⁵ As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

3 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

² And Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan! Yea, Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee! Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

³ And Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the Angel.

⁴ And he spoke and said unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from off him. And unto him he said, See, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I clothe thee with festival-robes.

⁵ And I said, Let them set a pure turban upon his head. And they set the pure turban upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the Angel of Jehovah stood by.

⁶ And the Angel of Jehovah protested unto Joshua, saying,

⁷ Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts; and I will give thee a place to walk among these that stand by.

⁸ Hear now, Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee—for they are men of portent—for behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.

⁹ For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua—upon one stone are seven eyes; behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in one day.

¹⁰ In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall ye invite every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig-tree.

⁴ For if God spared not [the] angels who had sinned, but having cast them down to the deepest pit of gloom has delivered them to chains of darkness [to be] kept for judgment;

⁵ and spared not [the] old world, but preserved Noe, [the] eighth, a preacher of righteousness, having brought in [the] flood upon [the] world of [the] ungodly;

⁶ and having reduced [the] cities of Sodom and Gomorrha to ashes, condemned [them] with an overthrow, setting [them as] an example to those that should [afterwards] live an ungodly life;

⁷ and saved righteous Lot, distressed with the abandoned conversation of the godless,

⁸ (for the righteous man through seeing and hearing, dwelling among them, tormented [his] righteous soul day after day with [their] lawless works,)

⁹ [the] Lord knows [how] to deliver the godly out of trial, and to keep [the] unjust to [the] day of judgment [to be] punished;

¹⁰ and specially those who walk after the flesh in [the] lust of uncleanness, and despise lordship. Bold [are they], self-willed; they do not fear speaking injuriously of dignities:

¹¹ when angels, who are greater in might and power, do not bring against them, before the Lord, an injurious charge.

¹² But these, as natural animals without reason, made to be caught and destroyed, speaking injuriously in things they are ignorant of, shall also perish in their own corruption,

¹³ receiving [the] reward of unrighteousness; accounting ephemeral indulgence pleasure; spots and blemishes, rioting in their own deceits, feasting with you;

¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery, and that cease not from sin, alluring unestablished souls; having a heart practised in covetousness, children of curse;

¹⁵ having left [the] straight way they have gone astray, having followed in the path of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved [the] reward of unrighteousness;

¹⁶ but had reproof of his own wickedness—[the] dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the folly of the prophet.

¹⁷ These are springs without water, and mists driven by storm, to whom the gloom of darkness is reserved [for ever].

¹⁸ For [while] speaking great highflown words of vanity, they allure with [the] lusts of [the] flesh, by dissoluteness, those who have just fled those who walk in error,

¹⁹ promising them liberty, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a man is subdued, by him is he also brought into slavery.

²⁰ For if after having escaped the pollutions of the world through [the] knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, again entangled, they are subdued by these, their last state is worse than the first.

²¹ For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known [it] to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.