Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
34 1 After David had escaped Achish, according as it is written in 1 Sam. 2:11, whom in this title he calleth Abimelech (which was a general name to all the Kings of the Philistines) he praiseth God for his deliverance, 3 provoking all others by his example to trust in God, to fear and serve him, 7 who defendeth the godly with his Angels, 16 and utterly destroyeth the wicked in their sins.
A Psalm of David, when he changeth his behavior before Abimelech, who drave him away, and he departed.
1 I will [a]always give thanks unto the Lord: his praise shall be in my mouth continually.
2 My soul shall glory in the Lord: the [b]humble shall hear it and be glad.
3 Praise ye the Lord with me, and let us magnify his Name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me: yea, he delivered me out of all my [c]fear.
5 They [d]shall look unto him, and run to him: and their faces shall not be ashamed, saying,
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The [e]Angel of the Lord pitched round about them, that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 Taste ye and see, how gracious the Lord is: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
19 Great are the troubles of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
20 [a]He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21 But malice shall slay the [b]wicked: and they that hate the righteous, shall perish.
22 The Lord [c]redeemeth the souls of his servants: and none that trust in him, shall perish.
Nehemiah
1 4 Nehemiah bewaileth the calamity of Jerusalem. 5 He confesseth the sins of the people, and praiseth God for them.
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. In the month [a]Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in the palace of Shushan,
2 Came Hanani, one of my [b]brethren, he and the men of Judah, and I asked them concerning the Jews that were delivered, which were of the residue of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said unto me, The residue that are left of the captivity there in the [c]province, are in great affliction and in reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire.
4 And when I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
5 And said, (A)O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him, and observe his commandments,
6 I pray thee let thine ears be attent, and thine eyes open, to hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee daily, day and night for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee, both I and my father’s house have sinned:
7 We have [d]grievously sinned against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
8 I beseech thee, remember the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, Ye will transgress, and (B)I will scatter you abroad among the people.
9 But if ye return unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them, (C)though your scattering were to the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather you from thence, and will bring you unto the place that I have chosen to place my Name there.
10 Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy mighty hand.
11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let thine ear now hearken to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to [e]fear thy Name, and I pray thee, cause thy servant to prosper this day, and give him favor in the presence of [f]this man: for I was the king’s butler.
11 [a]If therefore [b]perfection had been by the Priesthood of the Levites (for under it the Law was established to the people) what needed it furthermore, that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not to be called after the order of Aaron?
12 [c]For if the Priesthood be changed, then of necessity must there be a change of the [d]Law.
13 For he of whom these things are spoken, pertaineth unto another tribe, whereof no man [e]served at the altar.
14 For it is evident, that our Lord sprung out of Judah, concerning the which tribe Moses spake nothing, touching the Priesthood.
15 [f]And it is yet a more evident thing, because that after the similitude of Melchizedek, there is risen up another Priest,
16 [g]Which is not made Priest after the [h]Law of the carnal commandment, but after the power of the endless life.
17 For he testifieth thus, (A)Thou art a Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.
18 [i]For the [j]commandment that went afore, is disannulled, because of the weakness thereof, and unprofitableness.
19 For the Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope made perfect, whereby we draw near unto God.
20 [k]And forasmuch as it is not without an oath (for these are made Priests without an oath:
21 But this is made with an oath by him that said unto him, (B)The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.)
22 By so much is Jesus made a surety of a better Testament.
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