Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

126 Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it.

² It is vain for you to rise before light, rise ye after you have sitten, you that eat the bread of sorrow. When he shall give sleep to his beloved,

³ Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb.

⁴ As arrows in the hand of the mighty, so the children of them that have been shaken.

⁵ Blessed is the man that hath filled the desire with them; he shall not be confounded when he shall speak to his enemies in the gate.

⁸ Bring forth the people that are blind, and have eyes: that are deaf, and have ears.

⁹ All the nations are assembled together, and the tribes are gathered: who among you can declare this, and shall make us hear the former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, let them be justified, and hear, and say: It is truth.

¹⁰ You are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know, and believe me, and understand that I myself am. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there shall be none.

¹¹ I am, I am the Lord: and there is no saviour besides me.

¹² I have declared, and have saved. I have made it heard, and there was no strange one among you. You are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and I am God.

¹³ And from the beginning I am the same, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall turn it away?

¹⁴ Thus saith the Lord your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their bars, and the Chaldeans glorying in their ships.

¹⁵ I am the Lord your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.

²⁵ But I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow labourer, and fellow soldier, but your apostle, and he that hath ministered to my wants.

²⁶ For indeed he longed after you all: and was sad, for that you had heard that he was sick.

²⁷ For indeed he was sick, nigh unto death; but God had mercy on him; and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

²⁸ Therefore I sent him the more speedily: that seeing him again, you may rejoice, and I may be without sorrow.

²⁹ Receive him therefore with all joy in the Lord; and treat with honour such as he is.

³⁰ Because for the work of Christ he came to the point of death: delivering his life, that he might fulfill that which on your part was wanting towards my service.

3 As to the rest, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not wearisome, but to you it is necessary.