Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

142 Hear, O Lord, my prayer: give ear to my supplication in thy truth: hear me in thy justice.

² And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight no man living shall be justified.

³ For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath brought down my life to the earth. He hath made me to dwell in darkness as those that have been dead of old:

⁴ And my spirit is in anguish within me: my heart within me is troubled.

⁵ I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all thy works: I meditated upon the works of thy hands.

⁶ I stretched forth my hands to thee: my soul is as earth without water unto thee.

⁷ Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit hath fainted away. Turn not away thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

⁸ Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning; for in thee have I hoped. Make the way known to me, wherein I should walk: for I have lifted up my soul to thee.

⁹ Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, to thee have I fled:

¹⁰ Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Thy good spirit shall lead me into the right land:

¹¹ For thy name's sake, O Lord, thou wilt quicken me in thy justice. Thou wilt bring my soul out of trouble:

¹² And in thy mercy thou wilt destroy my enemies. And thou wilt cut off all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

3 A PRAYER OF HABACUC THE PROPHET FOR IGNORANCES.

² O Lord, I have heard thy hearing, and was afraid. O Lord, thy work, in the midst of the years bring it to life: In the midst of the years thou shalt make it known: when thou art angry, thou wilt remember mercy.

³ God will come from the south, and the holy one from mount Pharan: His glory covered the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise.

⁴ His brightness shall be as the light; horns are in his hands: There is his strength hid:

⁵ Death shall go before his face. And the devil shall go forth before his feet.

⁶ He stood and measured the earth. He beheld, and melted the nations: and the ancient mountains were crushed to pieces. The hills of the world were bowed down by the journeys of his eternity.

⁷ I saw the tents of Ethiopia for their iniquity, the curtains of the land of Madian shall be troubled.

⁸ Wast thou angry, O Lord, with the rivers? or was thy wrath upon the rivers? or thy indignation in the sea? Who will ride upon thy horses: and thy chariots are salvation.

⁹ Thou wilt surely take up thy bow: according to the oaths which thou hast spoken to the tribes. Thou wilt divide the rivers of the earth.

¹⁰ The mountains saw thee, and were grieved: the great body of waters passed away. The deep put forth its voice: the deep lifted up its hands.

¹¹ The sun and the moon stood still in their habitation, in the light of thy arrows, they shall go in the brightness of thy glittering spear.

¹² In thy anger thou wilt tread the earth under foot: in thy wrath thou wilt astonish the nations.

¹³ Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people: for salvation with thy Christ. Thou struckest the head of the house of the wicked: thou hast laid bare his foundation even to the neck.

¹⁴ Thou hast cursed his sceptres, the head of his warriors, them that came out as a whirlwind to scatter me. Their joy was like that of him that devoureth the poor man in secret.

¹⁵ Thou madest a way in the sea for thy horses, in the mud of many waters.

¹⁶ I have heard and my bowels were troubled: my lips trembled at the voice. Let rottenness enter into my bones, and swarm under me. That I may rest in the day of tribulation: that I may go up to our people that are girded.

⁵ I will therefore admonish you, though ye once knew all things, that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, did afterwards destroy them that believed not:

⁶ And the angels who kept not their principality, but forsook their own habitation, he hath reserved under darkness in everlasting chains, unto the judgment of the great day.

⁷ As Sodom and Gomorrha, and the neighbouring cities, in like manner, having given themselves to fornication, and going after other flesh, were made an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

⁸ In like manner these men also defile the flesh, and despise dominion, and blaspheme majesty.

⁹ When Michael the archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses, he durst not bring against him the judgment of railing speech, but said: The Lord command thee.

¹⁰ But these men blaspheme whatever things they know not: and what things soever they naturally know, like dumb beasts, in these they are corrupted.

¹¹ Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain: and after the error of Balaam they have for reward poured out themselves, and have perished in the contradiction of Core.

¹² These are spots in their banquets, feasting together without fear, feeding themselves, clouds without water, which are carried about by winds, trees of the autumn, unfruitful, twice dead, plucked up by the roots,

¹³ Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion; wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever.

¹⁴ Now of these Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying: Behold, the Lord cometh with thousands of his saints,

¹⁵ To execute judgment upon all, and to reprove all the ungodly for all the works of their ungodliness, whereby they have done ungodly, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against God.

¹⁶ These are murmurers, full of complaints, walking according to their own desires, and their mouth speaketh proud things, admiring persons for gain's sake.

¹⁷ But you, my dearly beloved, be mindful of the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁸ Who told you, that in the last time there should come mockers, walking according to their own desires in ungodlinesses.

¹⁹ These are they, who separate themselves, sensual men, having not the Spirit.

²⁰ But you, my beloved, building yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

²¹ Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto life everlasting.