Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

² Behold, God is my saviour, I will deal confidently, and will not fear: O because the Lord is my strength, and my praise, and he is become my salvation.

³ You shall draw waters with joy out of the saviour's fountains:

⁴ And you shall say in that day: Praise ye the Lord, and call upon his name: make his works known among the people: remember that his name is high.

⁵ Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath done great things: shew this forth in all the earth.

⁶ Rejoice, and praise, O thou habitation of Sion: for great is he that is in the midst of thee, the Holy One of Israel.

⁴ Hear this, you that crush the poor, and make the needy of the land to fail,

⁵ Saying: When will the month be over, and we shall sell our wares: and the sabbath, and we shall open the corn: that we may lessen the measure, and increase the sicle, and may convey in deceitful balances,

⁶ That we may possess the needy for money, and the poor for a pair of shoes, and may sell the refuse of the corn?

⁷ The Lord hath sworn against the pride of Jacob: surely I will never forget all their works.

⁸ Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein: and rise up altogether as a river, and be cast out, and run down as the river of Egypt?

⁹ And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that the sun shall go down at midday, and I will make the earth dark in the day of light:

¹⁰ And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation: and I will bring up sackcloth upon every back of yours, and baldness upon every head: and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the latter end thereof as a bitter day.

¹¹ Behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will send forth a famine into the land: not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord.

¹² And they shall move from sea to sea, and from the north to the east: they shall go about seeking the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

9 For concerning the ministry that is done towards the saints, it is superfluous for me to write unto you.

² For I know your forward mind: for which I boast of you to the Macedonians. That Achaia also is ready from the year past, and your emulation hath provoked very many.

³ Now I have sent the brethren, that the thing which we boast of concerning you, be not made void in this behalf, that (as I have said) you may be ready:

⁴ Lest, when the Macedonians shall come with me, and find you unprepared, we (not to say ye) should be ashamed in this matter.

⁵ Therefore I thought it necessary to desire the brethren that they would go to you before, and prepare this blessing before promised, to be ready, so as a blessing, not as covetousness.

⁶ Now this I say: He who soweth sparingly, shall also reap sparingly: and he who soweth in blessings, shall also reap blessings.

⁷ Every one as he hath determined in his heart, not with sadness, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound in you; that ye always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work,

⁹ As it is written: He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor: his justice remaineth for ever.

¹⁰ And he that ministereth seed to the sower, will both give you bread to eat, and will multiply your seed, and increase the growth of the fruits of your justice:

¹¹ That being enriched in all things, you may abound unto all simplicity, which worketh through us thanksgiving to God.

¹² Because the administration of this office doth not only supply the want of the saints, but aboundeth also by many thanksgivings in the Lord,

¹³ By the proof of this ministry, glorifying God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the simplicity of your communicating unto them, and unto all.

¹⁴ And in their praying for you, being desirous of you, because of the excellent grace of God in you.

¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.