Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble;
(A)My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my [a]body!
10 For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.
11 (B)I am a [b]reproach among all my enemies,
But (C)especially among my neighbors,
And am repulsive to my acquaintances;
(D)Those who see me outside flee from me.
12 (E)I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a [c]broken vessel.
13 (F)For I hear the slander of many;
(G)Fear is on every side;
While they (H)take counsel together against me,
They scheme to take away my life.
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the (A)sheep.”
And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not [a]sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was (B)ruddy, (C)with [b]bright eyes, and good-looking. (D)And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and (E)the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
Greeting
1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the [a]bishops and (A)deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thankfulness and Prayer
3 (B)I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in (C)every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 (D)for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun (E)a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; 7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness (F)which are by Jesus Christ, (G)to the glory and praise of God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.