Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer in Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

² Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

³ My soul is also greatly troubled; but thou, O LORD, how long?

⁴ Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.

⁵ For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in Sheol who shall give thee thanks?

⁶ I am weary with my groaning; all the night I flood my bed; I water my couch with my tears.

⁷ Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxes old because of all mine enemies.

⁸ ¶ Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity, for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.

⁹ The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD has received my prayer.

¹⁰ All my enemies shall be ashamed; they shall be sorely troubled: they shall turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

³ ¶ And there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate, who said one to another, Why shall we stay here until we die?

⁴ If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we stay here, we shall die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians; if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

⁵ And they rose up at the beginning of the night, to go unto the camp of the Syrians; and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

⁶ For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host; and they said one to another, Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

⁷ Therefore they had arisen and fled at the beginning of the night and had left their tents and their horses and their asses, even the camp as it was, and had fled for their lives.

⁸ And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank and took silver and gold and raiment and went and hid it and came again and entered into another tent and took from there also and went and hid it.

⁹ Then they said one to another, We do not well; this day is a day to give good tidings, and we are silent; if we tarry until the morning light, we shall be taken in the iniquity. Now, therefore, come, that we may enter in and give the news in the king’s house.

¹⁰ So they came and called unto the porter of the city, and they told them, saying, We went to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

¹⁴ Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

¹⁵ ¶ I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

¹⁶ The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of the Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of the Christ?

¹⁷ For one loaf of bread means that many are one body, for we are all partakers of that one loaf.

¹⁸ Behold Israel after the flesh: are not those who eat of the sacrifices participants of the altar?

¹⁹ What do I say then? that the idol is anything or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything?

²⁰ But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I would not that ye should be participants of demons.

²¹ Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; ye cannot be participants of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

²² Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

²³ ¶ All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify.

²⁴ Let no one seek his own good, but that of the other.

²⁵ Whatever is sold in the market, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake;

²⁶ for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.

²⁷ If any of those that do not believe bid you to a feast, and ye are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you asking no questions for conscience sake.

²⁸ But if anyone says unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, do not eat it for the sake of him that disclosed it and for conscience sake; for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof:

²⁹ conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other, for why should my liberty be judged by another man’s conscience?

³⁰ For if I by grace am a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

³¹ Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatever ye do, do everything for the glory of God.

³² Be without offense, neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles nor to the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God;

³³ even as I please everyone in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

11 ¶ Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.