Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 61
To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. [A Psalm] of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth will I cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting; lead me to the rock that is higher than I [yes, a rock that is too high for me].
3 For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the adversary.
4 I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever; let me find refuge and trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
5 For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear, revere, and honor Your name.
6 May You prolong the [true] [a]King’s life [adding days upon days], and may His years be to the last generation [of this world and the generations of the world to come].
7 May He sit enthroned forever before [the face of] God; O ordain that loving-kindness and faithfulness may watch over Him!
8 So will I sing praise to Your name forever, paying my vows day by day.
8 After this David smote the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg-ammah out of the hands of the Philistines.
2 He defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river [Euphrates].
4 David took from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except he reserved enough of them for 100 chariots.
5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew 22,000 of them.
6 David put garrisons in Syrian Damascus, and the Syrians became [his] servants and brought tribute. The Lord preserved and gave victory to David wherever he went.
7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David exacted an immense amount of bronze.
9 When Toi king of Hamath heard about David’s defeat of all the forces of Hadadezer,
10 [He] sent Joram his son to King David to salute and congratulate him about his battle and defeat of Hadadezer. For Hadadezer had had wars with Toi. Joram brought vessels of silver, gold, and bronze.
11 These King David dedicated to the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations he subdued:
12 From Syria, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 David won renown. When he returned he slew 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
14 He put garrisons throughout all Edom, and all the Edomites became his servants. And the Lord preserved and gave victory to [him] wherever he went.
15 So David reigned over all Israel, and executed justice and righteousness for all his people.
16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;
17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the [chief] priests, and Seraiah was the scribe;
18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and Pelethites [the king’s bodyguards]; and David’s sons were chief [confidential] assistants to the king.
17 However, from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church [to come to him there].
18 And when they arrived he said to them: You yourselves are well acquainted with my manner of living among you from the first day that I set foot in [the province of] Asia, and how I continued afterward,
19 Serving the Lord with all humility in tears and in the midst of adversity (affliction and trials) which befell me, due to the plots of the Jews [against me];
20 How I did not shrink from telling you anything that was for your benefit and teaching you in public meetings and from house to house,
21 But constantly and earnestly I bore testimony both to Jews and Greeks, urging them to turn in repentance [[a]that is due] to God and to have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ [[b]that is due Him].
22 And now, you see, I am going to Jerusalem, bound by the [Holy] Spirit and obligated and compelled by the [convictions of my own] spirit, not knowing what will befall me there—
23 Except that the Holy Spirit clearly and emphatically affirms to me in city after city that imprisonment and suffering await me.
24 But none of these things move me; neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I may finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have obtained from [which was entrusted to me by] the Lord Jesus, faithfully to attest to the good news (Gospel) of God’s grace (His unmerited favor, spiritual blessing, and mercy).
25 And now, observe, I perceive that all of you, among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the kingdom, will see my face no more.
26 Therefore I testify and protest to you on this [our parting] day that I am clean and innocent and not responsible for the blood of any of you.
27 For I never shrank or kept back or fell short from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan and counsel of God.
28 Take care and be on guard for yourselves and the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you bishops and guardians, to shepherd (tend and feed and guide) the church of the Lord or [c]of God which He obtained for Himself [buying it and saving it for Himself] with His own blood.
29 I know that after I am gone, ferocious wolves will get in among you, not sparing the flock;
30 Even from among your own selves men will come to the front who, by saying perverse (distorted and corrupt) things, will endeavor to draw away the disciples after them [to their own party].
31 Therefore be always alert and on your guard, being mindful that for three years I never stopped night or day seriously to admonish and advise and exhort you one by one with tears.
32 And now [brethren], I commit you to God [I deposit you in His charge, entrusting you to His protection and care]. And I commend you to the Word of His grace [to the commands and counsels and promises of His unmerited favor]. It is able to build you up and to give you [your rightful] inheritance among all God’s set-apart ones (those consecrated, purified, and transformed of soul).
33 I coveted no man’s silver or gold or [costly] garments.
34 You yourselves know personally that these hands ministered to my own needs and those [of the persons] who were with me.
35 In everything I have pointed out to you [by example] that, by working diligently in this manner, we ought to assist the weak, being mindful of the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, It is more blessed (makes one happier and more [d]to be envied) to give than to receive.
36 Having spoken thus, he knelt down with them all and prayed.
37 And they all wept freely and threw their arms around Paul’s neck and kissed him fervently and repeatedly,
38 Being especially distressed and sorrowful because he had stated that they were about to see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.
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