Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

26 The psalm of David before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?

² Whilst the wicked draw near against me, to eat my flesh. My enemies that trouble me, have themselves been weakened, and have fallen.

³ If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.

⁴ One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.

⁵ For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils, he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle.

⁶ He hath exalted me upon a rock: and now he hath lifted up my head above my enemies. I have gone round, and have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation: I will sing, and recite a psalm to the Lord.

⁷ Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to thee: have mercy on me and hear me.

⁸ My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.

⁹ Turn not away thy face from me; decline not in thy wrath from thy servant. Be thou my helper, forsake me not; do not thou despise me, O God my Saviour.

¹⁰ For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up.

¹¹ Set me, O Lord, a law in thy way, and guide me in the right path, because of my enemies.

¹² Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied to itself.

¹³ I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.

7 The life of man upon earth is a warfare, and his days are like the days of a hireling.

² As a servant longeth for the shade, as the hireling looketh for the end of his work;

³ So I also have had empty months, and have numbered to myself wearisome nights.

⁴ If I lie down to sleep, I shall say: When shall arise? and again I shall look for the evening, and shall be filled with sorrows even till darkness.

⁵ My flesh is clothed with rottenness and the filth of dust, my skin is withered and drawn together.

⁶ My days have passed more swiftly than the web is cut by the weaver, and are consumed without any hope.

⁷ Remember that my life is but wind, and my eyes shall not return to see good things.

⁸ Nor shall the sight of man behold me: thy eyes are upon me, and I shall be no more.

⁹ As a cloud is consumed, and passeth away: so he that shall go down to hell shall not come up.

¹⁰ Nor shall he return my more into his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

¹¹ Wherefore I will not spare my month, I will speak in the affliction of my spirit: I will talk with the bitterness of my soul.

¹² Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou hast enclosed me in a prison?

¹³ If I say: My bed shall comfort me, and I shall be relieved speaking with myself on my couch:

¹⁴ Thou wilt frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions.

¹⁵ So that my soul rather chooseth hanging, and my bones death.

¹⁶ I have done with hope, I shall now live no longer: spare me, for my days are nothing.

¹⁷ What is a man that thou shouldst magnify him? or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?

¹⁸ Thou visitest him early in the morning, and thou provest him suddenly.

¹⁹ How long wilt thou not spare me, nor suffer me to swallow down my spittle?

²⁰ I have sinned: what shall I do to thee, O keeper of men? why hast thou set me opposite to thee, and I am become burdensome to myself?

²¹ Why dost thou not remove my sin, and why dost thou not take away my iniquity? Behold now I shall sleep in the dust: and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall not be.

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

¹⁵ And he said to them: You are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is high to men, is an abomination before God.

¹⁶ The law and the prophets were until John; from that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every one useth violence towards it.

¹⁷ And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fall.

¹⁸ Every one that putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her that is put away from her husband, committeth adultery.