Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

128 Often have they fought against me from my youth, let Israel now say.

² Often have they fought against me from my youth: but they could not prevail over me.

³ The wicked have wrought upon my back: they have lengthened their iniquity.

⁴ The Lord who is just will cut the necks of sinners:

⁵ Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Sion.

⁶ Let them be as grass on the tops of houses: which withered before it be plucked up:

⁷ Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand: nor he that gathereth sheaves his bosom.

⁸ And they that have passed by have not said: The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we have blessed you in the name of the Lord.

4 And when they were passed over, the Lord said to Josue:

² Choose twelve men, one of every tribe:

³ And command them to take out of the midst of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood, twelve very hard stones, which you shall set in the place of the camp, where you shall pitch your tents this night.

⁴ And Josue called twelve men, whom he had chosen out of the children of Israel, one out of every tribe,

⁵ And he said to them: Go before the ark of the Lord your God to the midst of the Jordan, and carry from thence every man a stone on your shoulders, according to the number of the children of Israel,

⁶ That it may be a sign among you and when your children shall ask you to morrow, saying: What mean these stones?

⁷ You shall answer them: The waters of the Jordan ran off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when it passed over the same: therefore were these atones set for a monument of the children of Israel for ever.

⁸ The children of Israel therefore did as Josue commanded them, carrying out of the channel of the Jordan twelve stones, as the Lord had commanded him, according to the number of the children of Israel, unto the place wherein they camped, and there they set them.

⁹ And Josue put other twelve stones in the midst of the channel of the Jordan, where the priests stood that carried the ark of the covenant: and they are there until this present day.

¹⁰ Now the priests that carried the ark, stood in the midst of the Jordan till all things were accomplished which the Lord had commanded Josue to speak to the people, and Moses had said to him. And the people made haste and passed over.

¹¹ And when they had all passed over, the ark also of the Lord passed over, and the priests went before the people.

¹² The children of Ruben also and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasses, went armed before the children of Israel as Moses had commanded them.

¹³ And forty thousand fighting men by their troops, and bands, marched through the plains and fields of the city of Jericho.

¹⁴ In that day the Lord magnified Josue in the sight of all Israel, that they should fear him, as they had feared Moses, while he lived.

¹⁵ And he said to him:

¹⁶ Command the priests, that carry the ark of the covenant, to come up out of the Jordan.

¹⁷ And he commanded them, saying: Come ye up out of the Jordan.

¹⁸ And when they that carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, were come up, and began to tread on the dry ground, the waters returned into the channel, and ran as they were wont before.

¹⁹ And the people came up out of the Jordan, the tenth day of the first month, and camped in Galgal, over against the east side of the city of Jericho.

²⁰ And the twelve stones which they had taken out of the channel of the Jordan, Josue pitched in Galgal,

²¹ And said to the children of Israel: When your children shall ask their fathers, to morrow, and shall say to them: What mean these stones?

²² You shall teach them and say: Israel passed over this Jordan through the dry channel.

²³ The Lord your God drying up the waters thereof in your sight, until you passed over:

²⁴ As he had done before in the Red Sea, which he dried up till we passed through:

²⁵ That all the people of the earth may learn the most mighty hand of the Lord, that you also may fear the Lord your God for ever.

¹³ Therefore, we also give thanks to God without ceasing: because, that when you had received of us the word of the hearing of God, you received it not as the word of men, but (as it is indeed) the word of God, who worketh in you that have believed.

¹⁴ For you, brethren, are become followers of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus: for you also have suffered the same things from your own coutrymen, even as they have from the Jews,

¹⁵ Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men;

¹⁶ Prohibiting us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath of God is come upon them to the end.

¹⁷ But we, brethren, being taken away from you for a short time, in sight, not in heart, have hastened the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

¹⁸ For we would have come unto you, I Paul indeed, once and again: but Satan hath hindered us.

¹⁹ For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glory? Are not you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.