Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
137 1 The people of God in their banishment seeing God’s true Religion decay, lived in great anguish and sorrow of heart: the which grief the Chaldeans did so little pity, 3 That they rather increased the same daily with taunts, reproaches and blasphemies against God. 7 Wherefore the Israelites desire God, first to punish the Edomites, who provoked the Babylonians against them, 8 And moved by the Spirit of God, prophesy the destruction of Babylon, where they were handled so tyrannously.
1 By the rivers of Babel we [a]sat, and there we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst [b]thereof.
3 Then they that led us captive, [c]required of us songs and mirth, when we had hanged up our harps, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
4 How shall we sing, said we, a song of the Lord in a strange land?
5 [d]If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget to play.
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth: yea, if I prefer not Jerusalem to my [e]chief joy.
7 Remember the children of [f]Edom, O Lord, in the [g]day of Jerusalem, which said, Raze it, raze it to the foundation thereof.
8 O daughter of Babel, worthy to be destroyed, blessed shall he be that rewardeth thee, as thou hast served us.
9 [h]Blessed shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy children against the stones.
16 (A)For these things I weep: mine eye, even mine eye casteth out water, because the comforter that should refresh my soul, is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.
17 Zion stretcheth out her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath appointed the enemies of Jacob round about him: Jerusalem is [a]as a menstruous woman in the midst of them.
18 The Lord is righteous: for I have rebelled against his [b]commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.
19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my Priests and mine Elders perished in the city, while they [c]sought their meat to refresh their souls.
20 Behold, O Lord, how I am troubled: my bowels swell: mine heart is turned within me, for I am full of heaviness: the sword spoileth abroad, as death doeth at home.
21 They have heard that I mourn, but there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble, and are glad, that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day, that thou hast pronounced, and they shall be like unto me.
22 [d]Let all their wickedness come before thee: [e]do unto them, as thou hast done unto me, for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and mine heart is heavy.
2 [a]My brethren, [b]count it exceeding joy, [c]when ye fall into divers tentations,
3 (A)[d]Knowing that the [e]trying of your faith bringeth forth patience,
4 [f]And let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.
5 [g]If any of you lack [h]wisdom, let him ask of God, which giveth to all men liberally, and reproacheth no man, and it shall be given him.
6 (B)But let him ask in faith, and [i]waver not: [j]for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the sea, tossed of the wind, and carried away.
7 Neither let that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in [k]all his ways.
9 [l]Let the brother of [m]low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 [n]Again, he that is [o]rich, in that he is made low: [p]for as the flower of the grass, shall he (C)vanish away.
11 For as when the sun riseth with heat, then the grass withereth, and his flower falleth away, and the goodly shape of it perisheth: even so shall the rich man wither away in all his [q]ways.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.