Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is no one that does good.

² The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God.

³ They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is no one that does good, no, not one.

⁴ ¶ The workers of iniquity certainly know this; those who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD.

⁵ There they were in great fear: for God is with the nation of the righteous.

⁶ Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor because the LORD is his hope.

⁷ Oh that the saving health of Israel were come out of Zion! When the LORD turns back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

10 ¶ And it came to pass after this that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

² Then David said, I will show mercy unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed mercy unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his slaves for his father. And David’s slaves came into the land of the sons of Ammon.

³ And the princes of the sons of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Does it appear unto thee that David has sent comforters unto thee to honour thy father? Has not David rather sent his slaves unto thee to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?

⁴ Therefore, Hanun took David’s slaves and shaved off the one half of their beards and cut off their garments in the middle even to their buttocks and sent them away.

⁵ When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them because the men were greatly ashamed, and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards are grown and then return.

⁹ ¶ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, asking that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

¹⁰ that ye might walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing him in everything, being fruitful in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God,

¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to the power of his glory unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness,

¹² ¶ giving thanks unto the Father, who has made us worthy to participate in the inheritance of the saints in light,

¹³ who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son,

¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the remission of sins,