Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

98 A Psalm. Sing ye to Jehovah a new song, For wonders He hath done, Given salvation to Him hath His right hand and His holy arm.

² Jehovah hath made known His salvation, Before the eyes of the nations, He hath revealed His righteousness,

³ He hath remembered His kindness, And His faithfulness to the house of Israel, All ends of earth have seen the salvation of our God.

⁴ Shout to Jehovah, all the earth, Break forth, and cry aloud, and sing.

⁵ Sing to Jehovah with harp, With harp, and voice of praise,

⁶ With trumpets, and voice of a cornet, Shout ye before the king Jehovah.

⁷ Roar doth the sea and its fulness, The world and the inhabitants in it.

⁸ Floods clap hand, together hills cry aloud,

⁹ Before Jehovah, For He hath come to judge the earth, He judgeth the world in righteousness, And the people in uprightness!

³ And Samuel hath died, and all Israel mourn for him, and bury him in Ramah, even in his city, and Saul hath turned aside those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

⁴ And the Philistines are gathered, and come in, and encamp in Shunem, and Saul gathereth all Israel, and they encamp in Gilboa,

⁵ and Saul seeth the camp of the Philistines, and feareth, and his heart trembleth greatly,

⁶ and Saul asketh at Jehovah, and Jehovah hath not answered him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.

⁷ And Saul saith to his servants, `Seek for me a woman possessing a familiar spirit, and I go unto her, and inquire of her;' and his servants say unto him, `Lo, a woman possessing a familiar spirit in En-dor.'

⁸ And Saul disguiseth himself and putteth on other garments, and goeth, he and two of the men with him, and they come in unto the woman by night, and he saith, `Divine, I pray thee, to me by the familiar spirit, and cause to come up to me him whom I say unto thee.'

⁹ And the woman saith unto him, `Lo, thou hast known that which Saul hath done, that he hath cut off those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land; and why art thou laying a snare for my soul -- to put me to death?'

¹⁰ And Saul sweareth to her by Jehovah, saying, `Jehovah liveth, punishment doth not meet thee for this thing.'

¹¹ And the woman saith, `Whom do I bring up to thee?' and he saith, `Samuel -- bring up to me.'

¹² And the woman seeth Samuel, and crieth with a loud voice, and the woman speaketh unto Saul, saying, `Why hast thou deceived me -- and thou Saul?'

¹³ And the king saith to her, `Do not fear; for what hast thou seen?' and the woman saith unto Saul, `Gods I have seen coming up out of the earth.'

¹⁴ And he saith to her, `What [is] his form?' and she saith, `An aged man is coming up, and he [is] covered with an upper robe;' and Saul knoweth that he [is] Samuel, and boweth -- face to thee earth -- and doth obeisance.

¹⁵ And Samuel saith unto Saul, `Why hast thou troubled me, to bring me up?' And Saul saith, `I have great distress, and the Philistines are fighting against me, God hath turned aside from me, and hath not answered me any more, either by the hand of the prophets, or by dreams; and I call for thee to let me know what I do.'

¹⁶ And Samuel saith, `And why dost thou ask me, and Jehovah hath turned aside from thee, and is thine enemy?

¹⁷ And Jehovah doth for Himself as He hath spoken by my hand, and Jehovah rendeth the kingdom out of thy hand, and giveth it to thy neighbour -- to David.

¹⁸ Because thou hast not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, nor didst the fierceness of His anger on Amalek -- therefore this thing hath Jehovah done to thee this day;

¹⁹ yea, Jehovah giveth also Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow thou and thy sons [are] with me; also the camp of Israel doth Jehovah give into the hand of the Philistines.'

¹⁸ for revealed is the wrath of God from heaven upon all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding down the truth in unrighteousness.

¹⁹ Because that which is known of God is manifest among them, for God did manifest [it] to them,

²⁰ for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world, by the things made being understood, are plainly seen, both His eternal power and Godhead -- to their being inexcusable;

²¹ because, having known God they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor gave thanks, but were made vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened,

²² professing to be wise, they were made fools,

²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of fowls, and of quadrupeds, and of reptiles.

²⁴ Wherefore also God did give them up, in the desires of their hearts, to uncleanness, to dishonour their bodies among themselves;

²⁵ who did change the truth of God into a falsehood, and did honour and serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed to the ages. Amen.