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.

3 It is commonly said: If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and marry another man, shall he return to her any more? shall not that woman be polluted, and defiled? but thou hast prostituted thyself to many lovers: nevertheless return to me, saith the Lord, and I will receive thee.

² Lift up thy eyes on high: and see where thou hast not prostituted thyself: Thou didst sit in the ways, waiting for them as a robber in the wilderness: and thou hast polluted the land with thy fornications, and with thy wickedness.

³ Therefore the showers were withholden, and there was no lateward rain: thou hadst a harlot's forehead, thou wouldst not blush.

⁴ Therefore at least at this time call to me: Thou art my father, the guide of my virginity:

⁵ Wilt thou be angry for ever, or wilt thou continue until the end? Behold, thou hast spoken, and hast done evil things, and hast been able.

⁶ And the Lord said to me in the days of king Josias: Hast thou seen what rebellious Israel hast done? she hath gone out of herself upon every high mountain, and under every green tree, and hath played the harlot there.

⁷ And when she had done all these things, I said: Return to me, and she did not return. And her treacherous sister Juda saw,

⁸ That because the rebellious Israel had played the harlot, I had put her away, and had given her a bill of divorce: yet her treacherous sister Juda was not afraid, but went and played the harlot also herself.

⁹ And by the facility of her fornication she defiled the land, and played the harlot with stones and with stocks.

¹⁰ And after all this, her treacherous sister Juda hath not returned to me with her whole heart, but with falsehood, saith the Lord.

¹¹ And the Lord said to me: The rebellious Israel hath justified her soul, in comparison of the treacherous Juda.

¹² Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and thou shalt say: Return, O rebellious Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not turn away my face from you: for I am holy, saith the Lord, and I will not be angry for ever.

¹³ But yet acknowledge thy iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God: and thou hast scattered thy ways to strangers under every green tree, and hast not heard my voice, saith the Lord.

¹⁴ Return, O ye revolting children, saith the Lord: for I am your husband: and I will take you, one of a city, and two of a kindred, and will bring you into Sion.

1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of the elect of God and the acknowledging of the truth, which is according to godliness:

² Unto the hope of life everlasting, which God, who lieth not, hath promised before the times of the world:

³ But hath in due times manifested his word in preaching, which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Saviour:

⁴ To Titus my beloved son, according to the common faith, grace and peace from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Saviour.

⁵ For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee:

⁶ If any be without crime, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or unruly.

⁷ For a bishop must be without crime, as the steward of God: not proud, not subject to anger, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre:

⁸ But given to hospitality, gentle, sober, just, holy, continent:

⁹ Embracing that faithful word which is according to doctrine, that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine, and to convince the gainsayers.