Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Jehovah the psalmist’s portion in life and deliverer in death.
Michtam of David.
16 Preserve me, O God; for in thee do I take refuge.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto Jehovah, Thou art [a]my Lord:
I have no good beyond thee.
3 [b]As for the saints that are in the earth,
[c]They are the excellent in whom is all my delight.
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that give gifts for another god:
Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer,
Nor take their names upon my lips.
5 Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup:
Thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;
Yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless Jehovah, who hath given me counsel;
Yea, my [d]heart instructeth me in the night seasons.
8 I have set Jehovah always before me:
Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth:
My flesh also shall dwell [e]in safety.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol;
Neither wilt thou suffer thy [f]holy one to see [g]corruption.
11 Thou wilt show me the path of life:
In thy presence is fulness of joy;
In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh,
Leaping upon the mountains,
Skipping upon the hills.
9 My beloved is like a [a]roe or a young hart:
Behold, he standeth behind our wall;
He looketh in at the windows;
He glanceth through the lattice.
10 My beloved spake, and said unto me,
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11 For, lo, the winter is past;
The rain is over and gone;
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the [b]singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;
13 The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs,
And the vines are in blossom;
They give forth their fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock,
In the covert of the steep place,
Let me see thy countenance,
Let me hear thy voice;
For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes,
That spoil the vineyards;
For our vineyards are in blossom.
2 Continue stedfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving; 3 withal praying for us also, that God may open unto us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds; 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, [a]redeeming the time.
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