Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Psalm of David.

23 Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely, goodness and loving-kindness shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of Jehovah for the length of the days.

22 The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?

² Thou that wast full of stir, a town of tumult, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

³ All thy rulers have fled together, they are taken prisoners without the bow: all that are found of thee are made prisoners together; they were fleeing far off.

⁴ Therefore said I, Look away from me; let me weep bitterly: labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

⁵ For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision; [a day of] breaking down the wall, and of crying to the mountain:

⁶ —Elam beareth the quiver with chariots of men [and] horsemen; and Kir uncovereth the shield.

⁷ And it shall come to pass [that] thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

⁸ And he uncovereth the covering of Judah: and thou didst look in that day to the armour in the house of the forest;

5 The elders which [are] among you I exhort, who [am their] fellow-elder and witness of the sufferings of the Christ, who also [am] partaker of the glory about to be revealed:

² shepherd the flock of God which [is] among you, exercising oversight, not by necessity, but willingly; not for base gain, but readily;

³ not as lording it over your possessions, but being models for the flock.

⁴ And when the chief shepherd is manifested ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory.

⁵ Likewise [ye] younger, be subject to [the] elder, and all of you bind on humility towards one another; for God sets himself against [the] proud, but to [the] humble gives grace.

¹² By Silvanus, the faithful brother, as I suppose, I have written to you briefly; exhorting and testifying that this is [the] true grace of God in which ye stand.

¹³ She that is elected with [you] in Babylon salutes you, and Marcus my son.

¹⁴ Salute one another with a kiss of love. Peace be with you all who [are] in Christ.