Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
3 A Psalm of David, in his fleeing from the face of Absalom his son. Jehovah, how have my distresses multiplied! Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying of my soul, `There is no salvation for him in God.' Selah.
3 And Thou, O Jehovah, [art] a shield for me, My honour, and lifter up of my head.
4 My voice [is] unto Jehovah: I call: And He answereth me from his holy hill, Selah.
5 I -- I have lain down, and I sleep, I have waked, for Jehovah sustaineth me.
6 I am not afraid of myriads of people, That round about they have set against me.
7 Rise, O Jehovah! save me, my God. Because Thou hast smitten All mine enemies [on] the cheek. The teeth of the wicked Thou hast broken.
8 Of Jehovah [is] this salvation; On Thy people [is] Thy blessing! Selah.
5 Look ye on nations, and behold and marvel greatly. For a work He is working in your days, Ye do not believe though it is declared.
6 For, lo, I am raising up the Chaldeans, The bitter and hasty nation, That is going to the broad places of earth, To occupy tabernacles not its own.
7 Terrible and fearful it [is], From itself its judgment and its excellency go forth.
8 Swifter than leopards have been its horses, And sharper than evening wolves, And increased have its horsemen, Even its horsemen from afar come in, They fly as an eagle, hasting to consume.
9 Wholly for violence it doth come in, Their faces swallowing up the east wind, And it doth gather as the sand a captivity.
10 And at kings it doth scoff, And princes [are] a laughter to it, At every fenced place it doth laugh, And it heapeth up dust, and captureth it.
11 Then passed on hath the spirit, Yea, he doth transgress, And doth ascribe this his power to his god.
12 Art not Thou of old, O Jehovah, my God, my Holy One? We do not die, O Jehovah, For judgment Thou hast appointed it, And, O Rock, for reproof Thou hast founded it.
13 Purer of eyes than to behold evil, To look on perverseness Thou art not able, Why dost Thou behold the treacherous? Thou keepest silent when the wicked Doth swallow the more righteous than he,
14 And Thou makest man as fishes of the sea, As a creeping thing -- none ruling over him.
15 Each of them with a hook he hath brought up, He doth catch it in his net, and gathereth it in his drag, Therefore he doth joy and rejoice.
16 Therefore he doth sacrifice to his net, And doth make perfume to his drag, For by them [is] his portion fertile, and his food fat.
17 Doth he therefore empty his net, And continually to slay nations spare not?
2 All joy count [it], my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold;
3 knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance,
4 and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire -- in nothing lacking;
5 and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to him;
6 and let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed,
7 for let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord --
8 a two-souled man [is] unstable in all his ways.
9 And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,
10 and the rich in his becoming low, because as a flower of grass he shall pass away;
11 for the sun did rise with the burning heat, and did wither the grass, and the flower of it fell, and the grace of its appearance did perish, so also the rich in his way shall fade away!