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!

15 And it cometh to pass afterwards, that Absalom prepareth for himself a chariot, and horses, and fifty men are running before him;

² and Absalom hath risen early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate, and it cometh to pass, every man who hath a pleading to come unto the king for judgment, that Absalom calleth unto him, and saith, `Of what city [art] thou?' and he saith, `Of one of the tribes of Israel [is] thy servant.'

³ And Absalom saith unto him, `See, thy matters [are] good and straightforward -- and there is none hearkening to thee from the king.'

⁴ And Absalom saith, `Who doth make me a judge in the land, that unto me doth come every man who hath a plea and judgment? -- then I have declared him righteous.'

⁵ And it hath come to pass, in the drawing nearing of any one to bow himself to him, that he hath put forth his hand, and laid hold on him, and given a kiss to him;

⁶ and Absalom doth according to this thing to all Israel who come in for judgment unto the king, and Absalom stealeth the heart of the men of Israel.

⁷ And it cometh to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absalom saith unto the king, `Let me go, I pray thee, and I complete my vow, that I vowed to Jehovah in Hebron,

⁸ for a vow hath thy servant vowed in my dwelling in Geshur, in Aram, saying, If Jehovah doth certainly bring me back to Jerusalem, then I have served Jehovah.'

⁹ And the king saith to him, `Go in peace;' and he riseth and goeth to Hebron,

¹⁰ and Absalom sendeth spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, `At your hearing the voice of the trumpet, then ye have said, Absalom hath reigned in Hebron.'

¹¹ And with Absalom have gone two hundred men, out of Jerusalem, invited ones, and they are going in their simplicity, and have not known anything;

¹² and Absalom sendeth Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counsellor of David, out of his city, out of Gilo, in his sacrificing sacrifices; and the conspiracy is strong, and the people are going and increasing with Absalom.

¹³ And he who is declaring tidings cometh in unto David, saying, `The heart of the men of Israel hath been after Absalom.'

⁷ `Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you;

⁸ for every one who is asking doth receive, and he who is seeking doth find, and to him who is knocking it shall be opened.

⁹ `Or what man is of you, of whom, if his son may ask a loaf -- a stone will he present to him?

¹⁰ and if a fish he may ask -- a serpent will he present to him?

¹¹ if, therefore, ye being evil, have known good gifts to give to your children, how much more shall your Father who [is] in the heavens give good things to those asking him?