Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

35 By David. Strive, Jehovah, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,

² Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,

³ And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, `Thy salvation I [am].'

⁴ They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.

⁵ They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of Jehovah driving away.

⁶ Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of Jehovah their pursuer.

⁷ For without cause they hid for me their netpit, Without cause they digged for my soul.

⁸ Meet him doth desolation -- he knoweth not, And his net that he hid catcheth him, For desolation he falleth into it.

⁹ And my soul is joyful in Jehovah, It rejoiceth in His salvation.

¹⁰ All my bones say, `Jehovah, who is like Thee, Delivering the poor from the stronger than he, And the poor and needy from his plunderer.'

²² and the anger of God burneth because he is going, and a messenger of Jehovah stationeth himself in the way for an adversary to him, and he is riding on his ass, and two of his servants [are] with him,

²³ and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and the ass turneth aside out of the way, and goeth into a field, and Balaam smiteth the ass to turn it aside into the way.

²⁴ And the messenger of Jehovah standeth in a narrow path of the vineyards -- a wall on this [side] and a wall on that --

²⁵ and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah, and is pressed unto the wall, and presseth Balaam's foot unto the wall, and he addeth to smite her;

²⁶ and the messenger of Jehovah addeth to pass over, and standeth in a strait place where there is no way to turn aside -- right or left --

²⁷ and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah, and croucheth under Balaam, and the anger of Balaam burneth, and he smiteth the ass with a staff.

²⁸ And Jehovah openeth the mouth of the ass, and she saith to Balaam, `What have I done to thee that thou hast smitten me these three times?'

³² And I wish you to be without anxiety; the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord;

³³ and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how he shall please the wife.

³⁴ The wife and the virgin have been distinguished: the unmarried is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, and the married is anxious for the things of the world, how she shall please the husband.

³⁵ And this for your own profit I say: not that I may cast a noose upon you, but for the seemliness and devotedness to the Lord, undistractedly,

³⁶ and if any one doth think [it] to be unseemly to his virgin, if she may be beyond the bloom of age, and it ought so to be, what he willeth let him do; he doth not sin -- let him marry.

³⁷ And he who hath stood stedfast in the heart -- not having necessity -- and hath authority over his own will, and this he hath determined in his heart -- to keep his own virgin -- doth well;

³⁸ so that both he who is giving in marriage doth well, and he who is not giving in marriage doth better.

³⁹ A wife hath been bound by law as long time as her husband may live, and if her husband may sleep, she is free to be married to whom she will -- only in the Lord;

⁴⁰ and she is happier if she may so remain -- according to my judgment; and I think I also have the Spirit of God.