Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

142 Hear, O Lord, my prayer: give ear to my supplication in thy truth: hear me in thy justice.

² And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight no man living shall be justified.

³ For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath brought down my life to the earth. He hath made me to dwell in darkness as those that have been dead of old:

⁴ And my spirit is in anguish within me: my heart within me is troubled.

⁵ I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all thy works: I meditated upon the works of thy hands.

⁶ I stretched forth my hands to thee: my soul is as earth without water unto thee.

⁷ Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit hath fainted away. Turn not away thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

⁸ Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning; for in thee have I hoped. Make the way known to me, wherein I should walk: for I have lifted up my soul to thee.

⁹ Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, to thee have I fled:

¹⁰ Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Thy good spirit shall lead me into the right land:

¹¹ For thy name's sake, O Lord, thou wilt quicken me in thy justice. Thou wilt bring my soul out of trouble:

¹² And in thy mercy thou wilt destroy my enemies. And thou wilt cut off all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

¹⁷ For the fig tree shall not blossom: and there shall be no spring in the vines. The labour of the olive tree shall fail: and the fields shall yield no food: the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.

¹⁸ But I will rejoice in the Lord: and I will joy in God my Jesus.

¹⁹ The Lord God is my strength: and he will make my feet like the feet of harts: and he the conqueror will lead me upon my high places singing psalms.

¹¹ As they were hearing these things, he added and spoke a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately be manifested.

¹² He said therefore: A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

¹³ And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them: Trade till I come.

¹⁴ But his citizens hated him: and they sent an embassage after him, saying: We will not have this man to reign over us.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, that he returned, having received the kingdom: and he commanded his servants to be called, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

¹⁶ And the first came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

¹⁷ And he said to him: Well done, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a little, thou shalt have power over ten cities.

¹⁸ And the second came, saying: Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

¹⁹ And he said to him: Be thou also over five cities.

²⁰ And another came, saying: Lord, behold here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin;

²¹ For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up what thou didst not lay down, and thou reapest that which thou didst not sow.

²² He saith to him: Out of thy own mouth I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up what I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow:

²³ And why then didst thou not give my money into the bank, that at my coming, I might have exacted it with usury?

²⁴ And he said to them that stood by: Take the pound away from him, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

²⁵ And they said to him: Lord, he hath ten pounds.

²⁶ But I say to you, that to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: and from him that hath not, even that which he hath, shall be taken from him.

²⁷ But as for those my enemies, who would not have me reign over them, bring them hither, and kill them before me.