Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
To the Overcomer upon Neginah, A Psalm of David.
1 ¶ Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I will cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever; I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
5 ¶ For thou, O God, hast heard my vows; thou hast given an inheritance to those that fear thy name.
6 Thou wilt add days upon days unto the king’s life; his years shall be from generation to generation.
7 He shall abide before God for ever; He is aware of mercy and truth which preserve him.
8 So I will sing thy name for ever, performing my vows each day.
8 ¶ And after this, it came to pass that David smote the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 He also smote those of Moab and measured them with a line, causing them to lie down on the ground, and he measured them with two lines, with one to put to death and the other full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s slaves, bringing presents.
3 David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to extend his border to the river Euphrates.
4 And David took from him a thousand seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen, and David hamstrung all the chariot horses but reserved of them for one hundred chariots.
5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men.
6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became slaves to David, bringing presents. And the LORD saved David wherever he went.
7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the slaves of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 Likewise from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of brass.
9 ¶ When Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,
10 then Toi sent Joram, his son, unto King David, to greet him peacefully and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him, for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought vessels of silver and vessels of gold and vessels of brass in his hand,
11 which King David dedicated unto the LORD with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all Gentiles which he subdued
12 of the Syrians and of the Moabites and of the sons of Ammon and of the Philistines and of Amalekites and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 And David received fame when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt eighteen thousand men.
14 And he put garrisons in Edom; he put garrisons throughout all Edom, and all those of Edom became David’s slaves. And the LORD saved David wherever 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 the writer of chronicles;
17 and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests, and Seraiah was the scribe,
18 and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.
17 ¶ And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the congregation. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}
18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
19 serving the Lord with all humility and with many tears and temptations, which have befallen me by the ambushes of the Jews,
20 and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house,
21 testifying both to the Jews and also to the Gentiles, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 And now, behold, I go bound of the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there,
23 except that the Holy Spirit witnesses in every city, saying that prisons and tribulations await me.
24 But none of these things move me, neither do I count my life dear unto myself, only that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
26 Therefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of everyone.
27 For I have not refrained from declaring unto you the full counsel of God.
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops to feed the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God, which he has purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing, grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also from among your own selves, men shall arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves.
31 Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is powerful to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.
34 Moreover, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to those that were with me.
35 I have showed you in all things how that so labouring, ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
36 ¶ And when he had thus spoken, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37 Then they all wept sore and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
38 sorrowing most of all for the word which he spoke, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.
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