Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

3 LORD, how my adversaries are increased? How many rise against me?

² Many say to my soul, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah.

³ But You, LORD, are a buckler for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

⁴ I called to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me out of His Holy Mountain. Selah.

⁵ I laid down and slept; and rose up again. For the LORD sustained me.

⁶ I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who should beset me all around.

⁷ O LORD, arise! Help me, my God! For You have struck all my enemies upon the cheekbone. You have broken the teeth of the wicked.

⁸ Salvation belongs to the LORD. And Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah. To him who excels on Neginoth: A Psalm of David.

¹⁹ And Samuel grew. And the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

²⁰ And all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that faithful Samuel was the LORD’s Prophet.

²¹ And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by His Word.

4 And Samuel spoke to all Israel. And Israel went out against the Philistines to battle and camped beside Ebenezer. And the Philistines camped in Aphek.

² And the Philistines put themselves in formation against Israel. And when they joined the battle, Israel was struck down before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.

²⁶ For if we sin willingly after we have received and acknowledged the Truth, sacrifice for sins no longer remains;

²⁷ but rather a fearful expectation of judgment and violent fire, which shall devour the adversaries.

²⁸ Anyone who ignores Moses’ Law dies without mercy upon two or three witnesses.

²⁹ Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, shall he be worthy who treads the Son of God under foot, and counts the blood of the Testament (with which he was sanctified) as an unholy thing, insulting the Spirit of Grace?

³⁰ For we know Him Who has said, “Vengeance belongs to Me. I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord shall judge His people.”

³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.