Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

29 A psalm of a canticle, at the dedication of David's house.

² I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me.

³ O Lord my God, I have cried to thee, and then hast healed me.

⁴ Thou hast brought forth, O Lord, my soul from hell: thou hast saved me from them that go down into the pit.

⁵ Sing to the Lord, O ye his saints: and give praise to the memory of his holiness.

⁶ For wrath is in his indignation; and life in his good will. In the evening weeping shall have place, and in the morning gladness.

⁷ And in my abundance I said: I shall never be moved.

⁸ O Lord, in thy favour, thou gavest strength to my beauty. Thou turnedst away thy face from me, and I became troubled.

⁹ To thee, O Lord, will I cry: and I will make supplication to my God.

¹⁰ What profit is there in my blood, whilst I go down to corruption? Shall dust confess to thee, or declare thy truth?

¹¹ The Lord hath heard, and hath had mercy on me: the Lord became my helper.

¹² Thou hast turned for me my mourning into joy: thou hast cut my sackcloth, and hast compassed me with gladness:

¹³ To the end that my glory may sing to thee, and I may not regret: O Lord my God, I will give praise to thee for ever.

3 Now the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli, and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no manifest vision.

² And it came to pass one day when Heli lay in his place, and his eyes were grown dim, that he could not see:

³ Before the lamp of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

⁴ And the Lord called Samuel. And he answered: Here am I.

⁵ And he ran to Heli and said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. He said: I did not call: go back and sleep. And he went and slept.

⁶ And the Lord called Samuel again. And Samuel arose and went to Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou calledst me. He answered: I did not call thee, my son: return and sleep.

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither had the word of the Lord been revealed to him.

⁸ And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose up and went to Heli.

⁹ And said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. Then Heli understood that the Lord called the child, and he said to Samuel: Go, and sleep: and if he shall call thee any more, thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and slept in his place.

9 And Saul, as yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

² And asked of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues: that if he found any men and women of this way, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

³ And as he went on his journey, it came to pass that he drew nigh to Damascus; and suddenly a light from heaven shined round about him.

⁴ And falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

⁵ Who said: Who art thou, Lord? And he: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the goad.

⁶ And he trembling and astonished, said: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

⁷ And the Lord said to him: Arise, and go into the city, and there it shall be told thee what thou must do. Now the men who went in company with him, stood amazed, hearing indeed a voice, but seeing no man.

⁸ And Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. But they leading him by the hands, brought him to Damascus.

⁹ And he was there three days, without sight, and he did neither eat nor drink.