Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

58 Unto the end, destroy not, for David for an inscription of It title, when Saul sent and watched his house to kill him.

² Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; and defend me from them that rise up against me.

³ Deliver me from them that work iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

⁴ For behold they have caught my soul: the mighty have rushed in upon me:

⁵ Neither is it my iniquity, nor my sin, O Lord: without iniquity have I run, and directed my steps.

⁶ Rise up thou to meet me, and behold: even thou, O Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel. Attend to visit all the nations: have no mercy on all them that work iniquity.

⁷ They shall return at evening, and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city.

⁸ Behold they shall speak with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips: for who, say they, hath heard us?

⁹ But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them: thou shalt bring all the nations to nothing.

¹⁰ I will keep my strength to thee: for thou art my protector:

¹¹ My God, his mercy shall prevent me.

¹² God shall let me see over my enemies: slay them not, lest at any time my people forget. Scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord, my protector:

¹³ For the sin of their mouth, and the word of their lips: and let them be taken in their pride. And for their cursing and lying they shall be talked of,

¹⁴ When they are consumed: when they are consumed by thy wrath, and they shall be no more. And they shall know that God will rule Jacob, and all the ends of the earth.

¹⁵ They shall return at evening and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city.

¹⁶ They shall be scattered abroad to eat, and shall murmur if they be not filled.

¹⁷ But I will sing thy strength: and will extol thy mercy in the morning. For thou art become my support, and my refuge, in the day of my trouble.

¹⁸ Unto thee, O my helper, will I sing, for thou art God my defence: my God my mercy.

²³ How canst thou say: I am not polluted, and I have not walked after Baalim? see thy ways in the valley, know what thou hast done: as a swift runner pursuing his course.

²⁴ A wild ass accustomed to the wilderness in the desire of his heart, snuffed up the wind of his love: none shall turn her away: all that seek her shall not fail: in her monthly filth they shall find her.

²⁵ Keep thy foot from being bare, and thy throat from thirst. But thou saidst: I have lost all hope, I will not do it: for I have loved strangers, and I will walk after them.

²⁶ As the thief is confounded when he is taken, so is the house of Israel confounded, they and their kings, their princes and their priests, and their prophets.

²⁷ Saying to a stock: Thou art my father: and to a stone: thou hast begotten me: they have turned their back to me, and not their face: and in the time of their affliction they will say: Arise, and deliver us.

²⁸ Where are the gods, whom thou hast made thee? let them arise and deliver thee in the time of thy affliction: for according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Juda.

²⁹ Why will you contend with me in judgement? you have all forsaken me, saith the Lord.

³⁰ In vain have I struck your children, they have not received correction: your sword hath devoured your prophets, your generation is like a ravaging lion.

³¹ See ye the word of the Lord: Am I become a wilderness to Israel, or a lateward springing land? why then have my people said: We are revolted, we will come to thee no more.

³² Will a virgin forget her ornament, or a bride her stomacher? but my people hath forgotten me days without number.

³³ Why dost thou endeavour to shew thy way good to seek my love, thou who has also taught thy malices to be thy ways,

³⁴ And in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor and innocent? not in ditches have I found them, but in all places, which I mentioned before.

³⁵ And thou hast said: I am without sin and am innocent: and therefore let thy anger be turned away from me. Behold, I will contend with thee in judgement, because thou hast said: I have not sinned.

³⁶ How exceeding base art thou become, going the same ways over again! and thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.

³⁷ For from thence thou shalt go, and thy hand shall be upon thy head: for the Lord hath destroyed thy trust, and thou shalt have nothing prosperous therein.

⁷ Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you; whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation,

⁸ Jesus Christ, yesterday, and to day; and the same for ever.

⁹ Be not led away with various and strange doctrines. For it is best that the heart be established with grace, not with meats; which have not profited those that walk in them.

¹⁰ We have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle.

¹¹ For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the holies by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

¹² Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered without the gate.

¹³ Let us go forth therefore to him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

¹⁴ For we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come.

¹⁵ By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise always to God, that is to say, the fruit of lips confessing to his name.

¹⁶ And do not forget to do good, and to impart; for by such sacrifices God's favour is obtained.

¹⁷ Obey your prelates, and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief. For this is not expedient for you.

¹⁸ Pray for us. For we trust we have a good conscience, being willing to behave ourselves well in all things.

¹⁹ And I beseech you the more to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

²⁰ And may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great pastor of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the blood of the everlasting testament,

²¹ Fit you in all goodness, that you may do his will; doing in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen.