Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The [a]Psalms of David
1 Whether it was Esdras, or any other that gathered the Psalms into a book, it seemeth he did set this Psalm first in manner of a preface, to exhort all godly men to study and meditate the heavenly wisdom. For the effect hereof is, 1 That they be blessed which give themselves wholly all their life to the holy Scriptures; 4 and that the wicked contemners of God, though they seem for a while happy, yet at length shall come to miserable destruction.
1 Blessed is the man that doth not walk in the [b]counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the (A)law of the Lord, and in his [c]law doth he meditate day and night.
3 For he shall be like a (B)tree planted by the rivers of waters, that will bring forth her fruits in due season: whose leaf shall not fade: so [d]whatsoever he shall do, shall prosper.
4 [e]The wicked are not so, but as the chaff, which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the [f]judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord [g]knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked shall perish.
Ecclesiastes, or The Preacher
1 2 All things in this world are full of vanity, and of none endurance. 13 All man’s wisdom is but folly and grief.
1 The words of the [a]Preacher, the son of David king in Jerusalem.
2 [b]Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
3 What remaineth unto man in all his [c]travail, which he suffereth under the sun?
4 One generation passeth, and another generation succeedeth: but the earth remaineth [d]forever.
5 The sun riseth, and the sun goeth down, and draweth to his place where he riseth.
6 The [e]wind goeth toward the South, and compasseth toward the North: the wind goeth round about, and returneth by his circuits.
7 All the rivers go into the sea, yet the sea is not full: for the rivers go unto the place [f]whence they return, and go.
8 All things are full of labor: man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 [g]What is it that hath been? that that shall be: and what is it that hath been done? that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there anything, whereof one may say, Behold this, it is new? it hath been already in the old time that was before us.
11 There is no memory of the former, neither shalt there be a remembrance of the latter that shall be, with them that shall come after.
12 ¶ [h]I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem:
13 And I have given mine heart to search and find out wisdom by all things that are done under the heaven: (this sore travail hath God given to the sons of men, [i]to humble them thereby.)
14 I have considered all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, and vexation of the spirit.
15 That which is [j]crooked, can none make straight: and that which faileth, cannot be numbered.
16 I thought in mine heart, and said, Behold, I am become great, and excel in wisdom all them that have been before me in Jerusalem: and mine heart hath seen much wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I gave mine heart to know wisdom and knowledge, [k]madness and foolishness: I knew also that this is a vexation of the spirit.
18 For in the multitude of wisdom is much [l]grief: and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.
29 (A)[a]Woe be unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye build the tombs of the Prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the Prophets.
31 So then ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them that murdered the Prophets.
32 [b]Fulfill ye also the measure of your fathers.
33 O serpents, the generation of vipers, how should ye escape the damnation of [c]hell!
34 [d]Wherefore behold, I send unto you Prophets, and wise men, and Scribes, and of them ye shall kill and crucify: and of them shall ye scourge in your Synagogues, and persecute from city to city,
35 [e]That upon you may come all the righteous blood that was shed upon the earth, (B)from the blood of Abel the righteous, unto the blood of Zechariah the son of [f]Berechiah, (C)whom ye slew between the Temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
37 (D)[g]Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the Prophets, and stonest them which are sent to thee, how often would I have [h]gathered thy children together, as the hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your habitation shall be left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth till that ye say, Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.