Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

130 A Song of the Ascents. From depths I have called Thee, Jehovah.

² Lord, hearken to my voice, Thine ears are attentive to the voice of my supplications.

³ If iniquities Thou dost observe, O Lord, who doth stand?

⁴ But with Thee [is] forgiveness, that Thou mayest be feared.

⁵ I hoped [for] Jehovah -- hoped hath my soul, And for His word I have waited.

⁶ My soul [is] for the Lord, More than those watching for morning, Watching for morning!

⁷ Israel doth wait on Jehovah, For with Jehovah [is] kindness, And abundant with Him [is] redemption.

⁸ And He doth redeem Israel from all his iniquities!

²⁵ And like Absalom there was no man [so] fair in all Israel, to praise greatly; from the sole of his foot even unto his crown there was no blemish in him;

²⁶ and in his polling his head -- and it hath been at the end of year by year that he polleth [it], for it [is] heavy on him, and he hath polled it -- he hath even weighed out the hair of his head -- two hundred shekels by the king's weight.

²⁷ And there are born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter, and her name [is] Tamar; she was a woman of a fair appearance.

²⁸ And Absalom dwelleth in Jerusalem two years of days, and the face of the king he hath not seen;

²⁹ and Absalom sendeth unto Joab, to send him unto the king, and he hath not been willing to come unto him; and he sendeth again a second time, and he hath not been willing to come.

³⁰ And he saith unto his servants, `See, the portion of Joab [is] by the side of mine, and he hath barley there; go, and burn it with fire;' and the servants of Absalom burn the portion with fire.

³¹ And Joab riseth and cometh unto Absalom in the house, and saith unto him, `Why have thy servants burned the portion that I have with fire?'

³² And Absalom saith unto Joab, `Lo, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, and I send thee unto the king to say, Why have I come in from Geshur? -- good for me while I [am] there -- and now, let me see the king's face, and if there is in me iniquity then thou hast put me to death.'

³³ And Joab cometh unto the king, and declareth [it] to him, and he calleth unto Absalom, and he cometh unto the king, and boweth himself to him, on his face, to the earth, before the king, and the king giveth a kiss to Absalom.

6 Brethren, if a man also may be overtaken in any trespass, ye who [are] spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, considering thyself -- lest thou also may be tempted;

² of one another the burdens bear ye, and so fill up the law of the Christ,

³ for if any one doth think [himself] to be something -- being nothing -- himself he doth deceive;

⁴ and his own work let each one prove, and then in regard to himself alone the glorying he shall have, and not in regard to the other,

⁵ for each one his own burden shall bear.

⁶ And let him who is instructed in the word share with him who is instructing -- in all good things.

⁷ Be not led astray; God is not mocked; for what a man may sow -- that also he shall reap,

⁸ because he who is sowing to his own flesh, of the flesh shall reap corruption; and he who is sowing to the Spirit, of the Spirit shall reap life age-during;

⁹ and in the doing good we may not be faint-hearted, for at the proper time we shall reap -- not desponding;

¹⁰ therefore, then, as we have opportunity, may we work the good to all, and especially unto those of the household of the faith.