Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows the work of his hands.

² One day provides a word for the next day, and one night declares wisdom unto the next night.

³ There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

⁴ Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tabernacle for the sun,

⁵ which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices as a strong man to run a race.

⁶ His going forth is from the end of the heavens, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

⁷ ¶ The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

⁸ The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

⁹ The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the rights of the LORD are true, they are all just.

¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

¹¹ Moreover by them is thy slave warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.

¹³ Keep back thy slave also from pride and arrogance; let them not have dominion over me; then I shall be perfect, and I shall be innocent of the great rebellion.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

23 ¶ Thou shalt not admit a false rumour; put not thine hand with the wicked to be a false witness.

² Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause hiding behind many to wrest judgment;

³ neither shalt thou honour a poor man in his cause.

⁴ If thou should encounter thine enemy’s ox or his ass astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

⁵ If thou see the ass of him that hates thee lying under his burden, will thou forbear to help him? Thou shalt surely help him to raise it up.

⁶ Thou shalt not pervert the rights of thy poor in his cause.

⁷ Keep thee far from a false matter; and slay thou not the innocent and righteous; for I will not justify the wicked.

⁸ And thou shalt take no bribe; for the bribe blinds the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

⁹ Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger, for ye know the state of the soul of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

¹⁶ ¶ Let no one therefore judge you in food or in drink or in respect of a feast day or of the new moon or of the sabbath days,

¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of the Christ.

¹⁸ Let no one govern you according to their own will under pretext of humility and religion of angels, intruding into those things which they have not seen, vainly puffed up by their fleshly mind,

¹⁹ and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, fed and united by its joints and bonds, grows in the increase of God.

²⁰ For if ye are dead with the Christ to the elements of the world, why, as though living unto the world, do ye decree rites,

²¹ touch not; taste not; handle not?

²² Which all perish with the using, because they are the commandments and doctrines of men,

²³ which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship and humility and neglecting of the body, but they have absolutely no value against the appetites of the flesh.