Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

53 To the Overseer. -- `On a disease.' -- An instruction, by David. A fool said in his heart, `There is no God.' They have done corruptly, Yea, they have done abominable iniquity, There is none doing good.

² God from the heavens looked on the sons of men, To see if there be an understanding one, [One] seeking God.

³ Every one went back, together they became filthy, There is none doing good -- not even one.

⁴ Have not workers of iniquity known, Those eating my people have eaten bread, God they have not called.

⁵ There they feared a fear -- there was no fear, For God hath scattered the bones of him Who is encamping against thee, Thou hast put to shame, For God hath despised them.

⁶ Who doth give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When God turneth back [to] a captivity of His people, Jacob doth rejoice -- Israel is glad!

²⁴ And Saul saith unto Samuel, `I have sinned, for I passed over the command of Jehovah, and thy words; because I have feared the people, I also hearken to their voice;

²⁵ and now, bear, I pray thee, with my sin, and turn back with me, and I bow myself to Jehovah.'

²⁶ And Samuel saith unto Saul, `I do not turn back with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth reject thee from being king over Israel.'

²⁷ And Samuel turneth round to go, and he layeth hold on the skirt of his upper robe -- and it is rent!

²⁸ And Samuel saith unto him, `Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee to-day, and given it to thy neighbour who is better than thou;

²⁹ and also, the Pre-eminence of Israel doth not lie nor repent, for He [is] not a man to be penitent.'

³⁰ And he saith, `I have sinned; now, honour me, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn back with me; and I have bowed myself to Jehovah thy God.'

³¹ And Samuel turneth back after Saul, and Saul boweth himself to Jehovah;

⁴³ `For there is not a good tree making bad fruit, nor a bad tree making good fruit;

⁴⁴ for each tree from its own fruit is known, for not from thorns do they gather figs, nor from a bramble do they crop a grape.

⁴⁵ `The good man out of the good treasure of his heart doth bring forth that which [is] good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart doth bring forth that which [is] evil; for out of the abounding of the heart doth his mouth speak.