Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
55 1 David being in great heaviness and distress, complaineth of the cruelty of Saul, 13 and of the falsehood of his familiar acquaintance, 17 Uttering the most ardent affections to move the Lord to pity him. 22 After, being assured of deliverance, he setteth forth the grace of God, as though he had already obtained his request.
To him that excelleth on Neginoth. A Psalm of David to give instruction.
1 Hear [a]my prayer, O God, and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2 Hearken unto me, and answer me: I mourn in my prayer, and make a noise,
3 For the [b]voice of the enemy, and for the vexation of the wicked, because [c]they have brought iniquity upon me, and furiously hate me.
4 Mine heart trembleth within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling are come upon me, and an horrible fear hath [d]covered me.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove: then would I [e]fly away and rest.
7 Behold I would take my flight far off, and lodge in the wilderness. Selah.
8 He would make haste for my deliverance [f]from the stormy wind and tempest.
9 Destroy, O Lord, and [g]divide their tongues: for I have seen cruelty and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof, both [h]iniquity and mischief are in the midst of it.
11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12 Surely mine [i]enemy did not defame me, for I could have borne it: neither did mine adversary exalt himself against me: for I would have hid me from him.
13 But it was thou, O man, even my [j]companion, my guide, and my familiar:
14 Which delighted in consulting together, and went into the house of God as companions.
15 Let death seize upon them: let them [k]go down quick into the grave: for wickedness is in their dwellings even in the midst of them.
8 1 Bildad showeth that Job is a sinner, because that God punisheth the wicked, and preserveth the good.
1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long wilt thou talk of these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth [a]be as a mighty wind?
3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty subvert justice?
4 If thy sons have sinned against him, and he hath sent them into the place of their [b]iniquity,
5 Yet if thou [c]wilt early seek unto God, and pray to the Almighty,
6 If thou be pure and upright, then surely he will awake up unto thee, and he will make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7 And though thy beginning [d]be small, yet thy latter end shall greatly increase.
8 [e]Inquire therefore, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to search of their fathers.
9 (For we are but [f]of yesterday, and are ignorant: for our days upon earth are but a shadow)
10 Shall not they teach thee and tell thee, and utter the words of their heart?
11 Can a rush [g]grow without mire? or can the grass grow without water?
12 Though it were in green and not cut down, yet shall it wither before any other herb.
13 So are the paths of all that forget God, and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.
14 His confidence also shall be cut off, and his trust shall be as the house of a [h]spider.
15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold him fast by it, yet shall it not endure.
16 The [i]tree is green before the Sun, and the branches spread over the garden thereof.
17 The roots thereof are wrapped about the fountain, and are folded about the house of stones.
18 If any pluck it from his place, and it [j]deny, saying, I have not seen thee,
19 Behold, it will rejoice [k]by this means, that it may grow in another mold.
20 Behold, God will not cast away an upright man, neither will he take the wicked by the hand,
21 Till he have filled thy mouth with [l]laughter, and thy lips with joy.
22 They that hate thee, shall be clothed with shame, and the dwelling of the wicked shall not remain.
7 Entreating here of marriage, 4 which is a remedy against fornication, 10 and may not be broken, 18, 20 he willeth every man to live contented with his lot. 25 He showeth what the end of virginity should be, 35 and who ought to marry.
1 Now [a]concerning the things [b]whereof ye wrote unto me, It were [c]good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 (A)[d]Let the husband give unto the wife [e]due benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 [f]The wife hath not the power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not the power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud not one another, [g]except it be with consent for a time, that ye may [h]give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and again come together, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6 [i]But I speak this by permission, not by commandment.
7 For I [j]would that all men were even as I myself am: but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8 [k]Therefore I say unto the [l]unmarried, and unto the widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I do.
9 But if they cannot abstain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to [m]burn.
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.