Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

20 Unto the end. A psalm for David.

² In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.

³ Thou hast given him his heart's desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.

⁴ For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.

⁵ He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.

⁶ His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him.

⁷ For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance.

⁸ For the king hopeth in the Lord: and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.

⁹ Let thy hand be found by all thy enemies: let thy right hand find out all them that hate thee.

¹⁰ Thou shalt make them as an oven of fire, in the time of thy anger: the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, and fire shall devour them.

¹¹ Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth: and their seed from among the children of men.

¹² For they have intended evils against thee: they have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish.

¹³ For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face.

¹⁴ Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy own strength: we will sing and praise thy power.

⁷ This being told to Joatham, he went and stood on the top of mount Garizim: and lifting up his voice, he cried, and said: Hear me, ye men of Sichem, so may God hear you.

⁸ The trees went to anoint a king over them: and they said to the olive tree: Reign thou over us.

⁹ And it answered: Can I leave my fatness, which both gods and men make use of, to come to be promoted among the trees?

¹⁰ And the trees said to the fig tree: Come thou and reign over us.

¹¹ And it answered them: Can I leave my sweetness, and my delicious fruits, and go to be promoted among the other trees?

¹² And the trees said to the vine: Come thou and reign over us.

¹³ And it answered them: Can I forsake my wine, that cheereth God and men, and be promoted among the other trees?

¹⁴ And all the trees said to the bramble: Come thou and reign over us.

¹⁵ And it answered them: If indeed you mean to make me king, come ye and rest under my shadow: but if you mean it not, let fire come out from the bramble, and devour the cedars of Libanus.

¹⁸ Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that Antichrist cometh, even now there are become many Antichrists: whereby we know that it is the last hour.

¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us; but that they may be manifest, that they are not all of us.

²⁰ But you have the unction from the Holy One, and know all things.

²¹ I have not written to you as to them that know not the truth, but as to them that know it: and that no lie is of the truth.

²² Who is a liar, but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is Antichrist, who denieth the Father, and the Son.

²³ Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. He that confesseth the Son, hath the Father also.

²⁴ As for you, let that which you have heard from the beginning, abide in you. If that abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning, you also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father.

²⁵ And this is the promise which he hath promised us, life everlasting.

²⁶ These things have I written to you, concerning them that seduce you.

²⁷ And as for you, let the unction, which you have received from him, abide in you. And you have no need that any man teach you; but as his unction teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie. And as it hath taught you, abide in him.

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be confounded by him at his coming.