Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

139 Unto the end, a psalm for David.

² Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: rescue me from the unjust man.

³ Who have devised iniquities in their hearts: all the day long they designed battles.

⁴ They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: the venom of saps is under their lips.

⁵ Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked: and from unjust men deliver me. Who have proposed to supplant my steps.

⁶ The proud have hidden a net for me. And they have stretched out cords for a snare: they have laid for me a stumblingblock by the wayside.

¹³ I know that the Lord will do justice to the needy, and will revenge the poor.

¹⁴ But as for the just, they shall give glory to thy name: and the upright shall dwell with thy countenance.

¹⁰ Woe is me, my mother: why hast thou borne me a man of strife, a man of contention to all the earth? I have not lent on usury, neither hath any man lent to me on usury: yet all curse me.

¹¹ The Lord saith to me: Assuredly it shall be well with thy remnant, assuredly I shall help thee in the time of affliction, and in the time of tribulation against the enemy.

¹² Shall iron be allied with the iron from the north, and the brass?

¹³ Thy riches and thy treasures I will give unto spoil for nothing, because of all thy sins, even in all thy borders.

¹⁴ And I will bring thy enemies out of a land, which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in my rage, it shall burn upon you.

¹⁵ O Lord, thou knowest, remember me, and visit me, and defend me from them that persecute me, do not defend me in thy patience: know that for thy sake I have sufferred reproach.

¹⁶ Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was to me a joy and gladness of my heart: for thy name is called upon me, O Lord God of hosts.

¹⁷ I sat not in the assembly of jesters, nor did I make a boast of the presence of thy hand: I sat alone, because thou hast filled me with threats.

¹⁸ Why is my sorrow become perpetual, and my wound desperate so as to refuse to be healed? it is become to me as the falsehood of deceitful waters that cannot be trusted.

¹⁹ Therefore thus saith the Lord: If thou wilt be converted, I will convert thee, and thou shalt stand before my face; and if thou wilt separate the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: they shall be turned to thee, and thou shalt not be turned to them.

²⁰ And I will make thee to this people as a strong wall of brass: and they shall fight against thee, and shall not prevail: for I am with thee to save thee, and to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

²¹ And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the mighty.

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.