Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Zain

¹² The wicked plots against the just and gnashes upon him with his teeth.

¹³ The Lord shall laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming.

He

¹⁴ The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy and to slay such as are of upright conversation.

¹⁵ Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken.

Tet

¹⁶ A little that a righteous man has is better than the many riches of the sinners.

¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

Jod

¹⁸ The LORD knows the days of the perfect, and their inheritance shall be for ever.

¹⁹ They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

Caph

²⁰ But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD as the fattest of rams shall be consumed; as smoke they shall fade away.

Lamed

²¹ ¶ The wicked borrows and does not repay: but the righteous shows mercy and gives.

²² For such as are blessed of him shall inherit the earth, and those that are cursed of him shall be cut off.

²² So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him for.

²³ And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us and came out unto us into the field, and we made them retreat unto the entering of the gate.

²⁴ And the archers shot from off the wall upon thy slaves, and some of the king’s slaves are dead, and thy slave Uriah, the Hittite, is dead also.

²⁵ Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devours one as well as another; strengthen the battle against the city until it is overthrown and encourage thou him.

²⁶ And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah, her husband, was dead, she mourned for her husband.

²⁷ And when the mourning was past, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and gave birth to a son unto him. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

²² ¶ For which reason I have even been hindered many times from coming to you.

²³ But now having more place in these parts and having a great desire these many years to come unto you,

²⁴ when I leave for Spain, I will come unto you; for I trust to see you on my journey and to be taken there by you, if first I may enjoy your company.

²⁵ But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

²⁶ For it has pleased those of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints who are in Jerusalem.

²⁷ It has pleased them verily, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they should also minister unto them in carnal things.

²⁸ So that, when I have concluded this and have delivered unto them this fruit, I will come by you unto Spain.

²⁹ For I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of the Christ.

³⁰ ¶ But I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Spirit, that ye help me with prayers to God for me,

³¹ that I may be delivered from the disobedient in Judaea and that the offering of my service to the saints in Jerusalem may be accepted,

³² that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God and may be refreshed together with you.

³³ Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.