Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

57 Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title.

² If in very deed you speak justice: judge right things, ye sons of men.

³ For in your heart you work iniquity: your hands forge injustice in the earth.

⁴ The wicked are alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the womb: they have spoken false things.

⁵ Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent: like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ears:

⁶ Which will not hear the voice of the charmers; nor of the wizard that charmeth wisely.

⁷ God shall break in pieces their teeth in their mouth: the Lord shall break the grinders of the lions.

⁸ They shall come to nothing, like water running down; he hath bent his bow till they be weakened.

⁹ Like wax that melteth they shall be taken away: fire hath fallen on them, and they shall not see the sun.

¹⁰ Before your thorns could know the brier; he swalloweth them up, as alive, in his wrath.

¹¹ The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.

¹² And man shall say: If indeed there be fruit to the just: there is indeed a God that judgeth them on the earth.

¹⁹ And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said: I will run and tell the king, that the Lord hath done judgment for him from the hand of his enemies.

²⁰ And Joab said to him: Thou shalt not be the messenger this day, but shalt bear tidings another day: this day I will not have thee bear tidings, because the king's son is dead.

²¹ And Joab said to Chusai: Go, and tell the king what thou hast seen. Chusai bowed down to Joab, and ran.

²² Then Achimaas the son of Sadoc said to Joab again: Why might not I also run after Chusai? And Joab said to him: Why wilt thou run, my son? thou wilt not be the bearer of good tidings.

²³ He answered: But what if I run? And he said to him: Run. Then Achimaas running by a nearer way passed Chusai.

²⁴ And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman that was on the top of the gate upon the wall, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running alone.

²⁵ And crying out he told the king: and the king said: If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And as he was coming apace, and drawing nearer,

²⁶ The watchman saw another man running, and crying aloud from above, he said: I see another man running alone. And the king said: He also is a good messenger.

²⁷ And the watchman said: The running of the foremost seemeth to me like the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said: He is a good man: and cometh with good news.

²⁸ And Achimaas crying out, said to the king: God save thee, O king. And falling down before the king with his face to the ground, he said: Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath shut up the men that have lifted up their hands against the lord my king.

²⁹ And the king said: Is the young man Absalom safe? And Achimaas said: I saw a great tumult, O king, when thy servant Joab sent me thy servant: I know nothing else.

³⁰ And the king said to him: Pass, and stand here.

³¹ And when he bad passed, and stood still, Chusai appeared: and coming up he said: I bring good tidings, my lord, the king, for the Lord hath judged for thee this day from the hand of all that have risen up against thee.

³² And the king said to Chusai: Is the young man Absalom safe? And Chusai answering him, said: Let the enemies of my lord, the king, and all that rise against him unto evil, be as the young man is.

³³ The king therefore being much moved, went up to the high chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went he spoke in this manner: My son Absalom, Absalom my son: would to God that I might die for thee, Absalom my son, my son Absalom.

¹⁴ Wherefore, dearly beloved, waiting for these things, be diligent that you may be found before him unspotted and blameless in peace.

¹⁵ And account the longsuffering of our Lord, salvation; as also our most dear brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, hath written to you:

¹⁶ As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.

¹⁷ You therefore, brethren, knowing these things before, take heed, lest being led aside by the error of the unwise, you fall from your own steadfastness.

¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and unto the day of eternity. Amen.