Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

83 Keep Thou not silence, O God; hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God.

² For lo, Thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head.

³ They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people, and consulted against Thy hidden ones.

⁴ They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.”

⁵ For they have consulted together with one accord; they are confederate against Thee:

⁶ the tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagarites,

⁷ Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre.

⁸ Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot. Selah

⁹ Do unto them as unto the Midianites, as to Sisera, as to Jabin at the Brook of Kishon,

¹⁰ who perished at Endor; they became as dung for the earth.

¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, yea, all their princes as Zebah and as Zalmunna,

¹² who said, “Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.”

¹³ O my God, make them like a wheel, as the stubble before the wind.

¹⁴ As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire,

¹⁵ so persecute them with Thy tempest, and make them afraid with Thy storm.

¹⁶ Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Thy name, O Lord.

¹⁷ Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame and perish,

¹⁸ that men may know that Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth.

⁵ “And I will come near to you in judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers, and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and those who turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not Me,” saith the Lord of hosts.

⁶ “For I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

⁷ “Even from the days of your fathers, ye have gone away from Mine ordinances and have not kept them. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you,” saith the Lord of hosts. “But ye said, ‘In what manner shall we return?’

⁸ Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me! But ye say, ‘Wherein have we robbed Thee?’ In tithes and offerings.

⁹ Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation.

¹⁰ Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and put Me to the proof now herewith,” saith the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open to you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

¹¹ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field,” saith the Lord of hosts.

¹² “And all nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land,” saith the Lord of hosts.

2 And again He entered into Capernaum some days later, and it was reported that He was in the house.

² And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not even about the door; and He preached the Word unto them.

³ And they came unto Him, bringing one sick with the palsy, who was borne by four.

⁴ And when they could not come nigh unto Him because of the throng, they uncovered the roof where He was. And when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the one sick with the palsy lay.

⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the one sick with the palsy, “Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.”

⁶ But there were certain of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,

⁷ “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?”

⁸ And immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, “Why reason ye these things in your hearts:

⁹ whether it is easier to say to the sick with the palsy, ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee,’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up thy bed and walk’?

¹⁰ But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins—” He said to the one sick with the palsy,

¹¹ “I say unto thee, arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.”

¹² And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all, insomuch that they all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw it in this fashion!”