Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

16 The prayer of David. Hear, O Lord, my justice: attend to my supplication. Give ear unto my prayer, which proceedeth not from deceitful lips.

² Let my judgment come forth from thy countenance: let thy eyes behold the things that are equitable.

³ Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night, thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity hath not been found in me.

⁴ That my mouth may not speak the works of men: for the sake of the words of thy lips, I have kept hard ways.

⁵ Perfect thou my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps be not moved.

⁶ I have cried to thee, for thou, O God, hast heard me: O incline thy ear unto me, and hear my words.

⁷ shew forth thy wonderful mercies; thou who savest them that trust in thee.

⁸ From them that resist thy right hand keep me, as the apple of thy eye. Protect me under the shadow of thy wings.

⁹ From the face of the wicked who have afflicted me. My enemies have surrounded my soul:

¹⁰ They have shut up their fat: their mouth hath spoken proudly.

¹¹ They have cast me forth and now they have surrounded me: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth.

¹² They have taken me, as a lion prepared for the prey; and as a young lion dwelling in secret places.

¹³ Arise, O Lord, disappoint him and supplant him; deliver my soul from the wicked one: thy sword

¹⁴ From the enemies of thy hand. O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life: their belly is filled from thy hidden stores. They are full of children: and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance.

¹⁵ But as for me, I will appear before thy sight in justice: I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear.

⁹ What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women? what manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us?

¹⁰ My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.

¹¹ His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm trees, black as a raven.

¹² His eyes as doves upon brooks of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the plentiful streams.

¹³ His cheeks are as beds of aromatical spices set by the perfumers. His lips are as lilies dropping choice myrrh.

¹⁴ His hands are turned and as of gold, full of hyacinths. His belly as of ivory, set with sapphires.

¹⁵ His legs as pillars of marble, that are set upon bases of gold. His form as of Libanus, excellent as the cedars.

¹⁶ His throat most sweet, and he is all lovely: such is my beloved, and he is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.

¹⁷ Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou most beautiful among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside, and we will seek him with thee?

6 My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the bed of aromatical spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

² I to my beloved, and my beloved to me, who feedeth among the lilies.

³ Thou art beautiful, O my love, sweet and comely as Jerusalem: terrible as an army set in array.

15 Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand;

² By which also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.

³ For I delivered unto you first of all, which I also received: how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures:

⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures:

⁵ And that he was seen by Cephas; and after that by the eleven.

⁶ Then he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once: of whom many remain until this present, and some are fallen asleep.

⁷ After that, he was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

⁸ And last of all, he was seen also by me, as by one born out of due time.

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

¹⁰ But by the grace of God, I am what I am; and his grace in me hath not been void, but I have laboured more abundantly than all they: yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

¹¹ For whether I, or they, so we preach, and so you have believed.