Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David, the slave of the LORD, who spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,

¹ ¶ I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

² The LORD is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

³ I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies.

⁴ The pain of death compassed me, and the rivers of Belial made me afraid.

⁵ The pain of Sheol compassed me about: the snares of death came before me.

⁶ In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried unto my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

⁴³ Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the Gentiles: a people whom I did not know served me.

⁴⁴ As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me: the sons of strangers submitted themselves unto me even against their will.

⁴⁵ The strangers fell away and were afraid in their close places.

⁴⁶ The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

⁴⁷ It is God that avenges me and subdues the peoples under me.

⁴⁸ He delivers me from my enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the one who would betray me.

⁴⁹ Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the Gentiles and sing praises unto thy name.

⁵⁰ He gives great deliverance to his king and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

¹⁴ ¶ And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

¹⁵ And David, seeing that Saul had come out to seek his soul, stayed in the woods in the wilderness of Ziph.

¹⁶ Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.

¹⁷ And he said unto him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul, my father, shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and even my father knows this.

¹⁸ And the two made a covenant before the LORD, and David abode in the woods, and Jonathan returned to his house.

¹⁶ ¶ But thanks be to God, who put the same diligence into the heart of Titus for you.

¹⁷ For indeed he accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, of his own accord he went unto you.

¹⁸ And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the congregations, {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}

¹⁹ and not that only, but who was also ordained by the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord and declaration of your ready desire,

²⁰ avoiding that anyone should blame us regarding this abundance which is ministered by us,

²¹ providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²² And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which we have in you.

²³ Regarding Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you; or regarding our brethren, they are the apostles of the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} and the glory of Christ.

²⁴ Therefore show ye unto them before the congregations, {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} the proof of your charity and of our glorying regarding you.