Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Confidence in God’s protection.
For the Chief Musician; on a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.
61 Hear my cry, O God;
Attend unto my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart [a]is overwhelmed:
Lead me to [b]the rock that is higher than I.
3 For thou hast been a refuge for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will dwell in thy [c]tabernacle for ever:
I will take refuge in the covert of thy wings. Selah
5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows:
Thou hast [d]given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.
6 Thou wilt prolong the king’s life;
His years shall be as many generations.
7 He shall abide before God for ever:
Oh prepare lovingkindness and truth, that they may preserve him.
8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever,
That I may daily perform my vows.
8 And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took [a]the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.
3 David smote also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at [b]the River. 4 And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots. 5 And when [c]the Syrians of Damascus came to succor Hadadezer king of Zobah, David smote of [d]the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. 6 Then David put garrisons in [e]Syria of Damascus; and [f]the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. And Jehovah [g]gave victory to David whithersoever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from [h]Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.
9 And when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, 10 then Toi sent [i]Joram his son unto king David, to [j]salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him: for Hadadezer [k]had wars with Toi. And [l]Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass: 11 these also did king David dedicate unto Jehovah, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued; 12 of [m]Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting [n]the Syrians in the Valley of Salt, even eighteen thousand men. 14 And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And Jehovah [o]gave victory to David whithersoever he went.
15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness unto all his people. 16 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was [p]recorder; 17 and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was [q]scribe; 18 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [r]was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were [s]chief ministers.
17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the [a]elders of the church. 18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them,
Ye yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, after what manner I was with you all the time, 19 serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews; 20 how I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus [b]Christ. 22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 save that the Holy Spirit testifieth unto me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24 But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, [c]so that I may accomplish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the [d]gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, shall see my face no more. 26 Wherefore I testify unto you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 27 For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God. 28 Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you [e]bishops, to feed the church of [f]the Lord which he [g]purchased with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears. 32 And now I commend you to [h]God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you the inheritance among all them that are sanctified. 33 I coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. 34 Ye yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. 35 In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring ye ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. 37 And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all for the word which he had spoken, that they should behold his face no more. And they brought him on his way unto the ship.
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