Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
54 1 David brought into great danger by reason of the Ziphites, 5 Calleth upon the Name of God to destroy his enemies, 6 Promising sacrifices and free offerings for so great deliverance.
To him that excelleth on Neginoth. A Psalm of David, to give instruction. When the Ziphims came and said unto Saul, (A)Is not David hid among us?
1 Save me, O God, [a]by thy Name, and by thy power judge me.
2 O God, hear my prayer: hearken unto the words of my mouth.
3 For [b]strangers are risen up against me, and [c]tyrants seek my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.
4 Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with [d]them that uphold my soul.
5 He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: Oh cut them off in thy [e]truth!
6 Then I will sacrifice [f]freely unto thee: I will praise thy Name, O Lord, because it is good.
7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble, and mine eye hath [g]seen my desire upon mine enemies.
5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went against Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6 ¶ (A)In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away unto Assyria, and put them in Halah, and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the [a]Medes.
7 For when the children of Israel [b]sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and feared other gods,
8 And walked according to the fashions of the Heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel, and after the manners of the kings of Israel, which they used,
9 And the children of Israel had done secretly things that were not upright before the Lord their God, and throughout all their cities had built high places, both from the tower [c]of the watch, to the defensed city,
10 And had made them images and groves upon every high hill, and under every green tree,
11 And there burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen, whom the Lord had taken away before them, and wrought wicked things to anger the Lord,
12 And served idols: whereof the Lord had said unto them, (B)Ye shall do no such thing,
13 Notwithstanding the Lord testified to Israel, and to Judah [d]by all the Prophets, and by all the Seers, saying, (C)Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments, and my statutes, according to all the Law, which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets.
14 Nevertheless they would not obey, (D)but hardened their necks, like to the necks of their [e]fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God.
15 And they refused his statutes and his covenant, that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies (wherewith he witnessed unto them) and they followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the heathen that were round about them: concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16 Finally they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, (E)even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the [f]host of heaven, and served Baal.
17 And they made their sons and their daughters [g]pass through the fire, and used witchcraft and enchantments, yea, [h]sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to anger him.
18 Therefore the Lord was exceedingly wroth with Israel, and put them out of his sight, and none was left but the tribe of Judah [i]only.
29 (A)[a]Woe be unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye build the tombs of the Prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the Prophets.
31 So then ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them that murdered the Prophets.
32 [b]Fulfill ye also the measure of your fathers.
33 O serpents, the generation of vipers, how should ye escape the damnation of [c]hell!
34 [d]Wherefore behold, I send unto you Prophets, and wise men, and Scribes, and of them ye shall kill and crucify: and of them shall ye scourge in your Synagogues, and persecute from city to city,
35 [e]That upon you may come all the righteous blood that was shed upon the earth, (B)from the blood of Abel the righteous, unto the blood of Zechariah the son of [f]Berechiah, (C)whom ye slew between the Temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
37 (D)[g]Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the Prophets, and stonest them which are sent to thee, how often would I have [h]gathered thy children together, as the hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your habitation shall be left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth till that ye say, Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.
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