Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

69 To the Overseer. -- `On the Lilies,' by David. Save me, O God, for come have waters unto the soul.

² I have sunk in deep mire, And there is no standing, I have come into the depths of the waters, And a flood hath overflown me.

³ I have been wearied with my calling, Burnt hath been my throat, Consumed have been mine eyes, waiting for my God.

¹³ And I -- my prayer [is] to Thee, O Jehovah, A time of good pleasure, O God, In the abundance of Thy kindness, Answer me in the truth of Thy salvation.

¹⁴ Deliver me from the mire, and let me not sink, Let me be delivered from those hating me, And from deep places of waters.

¹⁵ Let not a flood of waters overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up, Nor let the pit shut her mouth upon me.

¹⁶ Answer me, O Jehovah, for good [is] Thy kindness, According to the abundance Of Thy mercies turn Thou unto me,

³⁰ I praise the name of God with a song, And I magnify Him with thanksgiving,

³¹ And it is better to Jehovah than an ox, A bullock -- horned -- hoofed.

³² The humble have seen -- they rejoice, Ye who seek God -- and your heart liveth.

³³ For Jehovah hearkeneth unto the needy, And His bound ones He hath not despised.

³⁴ The heavens and earth do praise Him, Seas, and every moving thing in them.

³⁵ For God doth save Zion, And doth build the cities of Judah, And they have dwelt there, and possess it.

³⁶ And the seed of His servants inherit it, And those loving His name dwell in it!

4 And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceiveth and beareth Cain, and saith, `I have gotten a man by Jehovah;'

² and she addeth to bear his brother, even Abel. And Abel is feeding a flock, and Cain hath been servant of the ground.

³ And it cometh to pass at the end of days that Cain bringeth from the fruit of the ground a present to Jehovah;

⁴ and Abel, he hath brought, he also, from the female firstlings of his flock, even from their fat ones; and Jehovah looketh unto Abel and unto his present,

⁵ and unto Cain and unto his present He hath not looked; and it is very displeasing to Cain, and his countenance is fallen.

⁶ And Jehovah saith unto Cain, `Why hast thou displeasure? and why hath thy countenance fallen?

⁷ Is there not, if thou dost well, acceptance? and if thou dost not well, at the opening a sin-offering is crouching, and unto thee its desire, and thou rulest over it.'

⁸ And Cain saith unto Abel his brother, [`Let us go into the field;'] and it cometh to pass in their being in the field, that Cain riseth up against Abel his brother, and slayeth him.

⁹ And Jehovah saith unto Cain, `Where [is] Abel thy brother?' and he saith, `I have not known; my brother's keeper -- I?'

¹⁰ And He saith, `What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood is crying unto Me from the ground;

¹¹ and now, cursed [art] thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive the blood of thy brother from thy hand;

¹² when thou tillest the ground, it doth not add to give its strength to thee -- a wanderer, even a trembling one, thou art in the earth.'

¹³ And Cain saith unto Jehovah, `Greater is my punishment than to be borne;

¹⁴ lo, Thou hast driven me to-day from off the face of the ground, and from Thy face I am hid; and I have been a wanderer, even a trembling one, in the earth, and it hath been -- every one finding me doth slay me.'

¹⁵ And Jehovah saith to him, `Therefore -- of any slayer of Cain sevenfold it is required;' and Jehovah setteth to Cain a token that none finding him doth slay him.

¹⁶ And Cain goeth out from before Jehovah, and dwelleth in the land, moving about east of Eden;

2 Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man -- every one who is judging -- for in that in which thou dost judge the other, thyself thou dost condemn, for the same things thou dost practise who art judging,

² and we have known that the judgment of God is according to truth, upon those practising such things.

³ And dost thou think this, O man, who art judging those who such things are practising, and art doing them, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

⁴ or the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, dost thou despise? -- not knowing that the goodness of God doth lead thee to reformation!

⁵ but, according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou dost treasure up to thyself wrath, in a day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

⁶ who shall render to each according to his works;

⁷ to those, indeed, who in continuance of a good work, do seek glory, and honour, and incorruptibility -- life age-during;

⁸ and to those contentious, and disobedient, indeed, to the truth, and obeying the unrighteousness -- indignation and wrath,

⁹ tribulation and distress, upon every soul of man that is working the evil, both of Jew first, and of Greek;

¹⁰ and glory, and honour, and peace, to every one who is working the good, both to Jew first, and to Greek.

¹¹ For there is no acceptance of faces with God,