Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

123 The song of degrees. To thee I have raised mine eyes; that dwellest in heavens. (I raise up my eyes to thee; who livest in heaven.)

² Lo! as the eyes of servants be in the hands of their lords. As the eyes of the handmaid be in the hands of her lady; so our eyes be to our Lord God, till he have mercy on us. (Lo! like the eyes of the servant look to the hand of his lord; and like the eyes of the servantess look to the hand of her lady; so let our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.)

³ Lord, have thou mercy on us, have thou mercy on us; for we be much filled with despising (for we be greatly despised).

⁴ For our soul is much filled; we be shame to them that be abundant with riches, and despising to proud men. (For our soul is filled full, with the scorn of those who have abundant riches; and with disdain from the proud.)

5 And Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang in that day, and said,

² Ye men of Israel, that have willfully offered your lives to peril (who have willingly offered your lives to peril), bless ye the Lord.

³ Ye kings, hear; ye princes, perceive with ears (ye princes, listen!); I am, I am the woman, that shall sing to the Lord; I shall sing to the Lord God of Israel.

⁴ Lord, when thou wentest out from Seir, and passedest by the countries of Edom (and passedest by the countryside of Edom), the earth was moved, and (the) heavens and (the) clouds dropped with waters;

⁵ (the) hills flowed from the face of the Lord, and Sinai from the face of the Lord God of Israel.

⁶ In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, [the] paths rested (the ways were empty), and they that entered by those (ways), went [away] by paths out of the way.

⁷ Strong men in Israel ceased, and rested, till Deborah (a)rose, a mother in Israel.

⁸ The Lord chose new battles, and he destroyed the gates of (their) enemies; shield and spear appeared not in forty thousand of Israel. (They chose new gods, and then there was war at the gates; but shields and spears did not appear among the forty thousand of Israel.)

⁹ Mine heart loveth the princes of Israel; ye that offered you(rselves) to peril by your own will, bless ye the Lord; (My heart loveth the leaders of Israel; ye who willingly offered yourselves to peril, bless ye the Lord;)

¹⁰ speak ye, that ascend on shining asses, and sit above in doom, and go in the way. (speak ye, who ride on shining donkeys, and sit in judgement, and go on the way.)

¹¹ Where the chariots were hurled down (al)together, and the host of [the] enemy’s was strangled, there the Lord’s rightwiseness be told out, and his mercy among the strong men of Israel; then the Lord’s people came down to the gates, and got the princehood. (Where the chariots were altogether hurled down, and the enemy’s army was strangled, there the Lord’s righteousness be told out, and his mercy among the strong men of Israel; then the Lord’s people came down to the gates, and got the victory.)

¹² Rise, rise thou, Deborah, rise thou, and speak a song; rise thou, Barak, and thou, son of Abinoam, take thy prisoners. (Rise, rise thou, Deborah, rise thou up, and sing a song; rise thou up, Barak, thou son of Abinoam, and take thy prisoners.)

⁴³ When an unclean spirit goeth out from a man, he goeth by dry places, seeking rest, and findeth not.^[a]

⁴⁴ Then he saith, I shall turn again into mine house, from whence I went out [Then he saith, I shall turn again into my house, from whence I came out]. And he cometh, and findeth it void, and cleansed with besoms, and made fair.

⁴⁵ Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits worse than himself; and they enter [in], and dwell there. And the last things of that man be made worse than the former. So it shall be [and] to this worst generation.