Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
108 O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my inmost being.
2 Awake, psaltery and harp! I myself will awake early.
3 I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the people, and I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations.
4 For Thy mercy is great above the heavens, and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
5 Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Thy glory above all the earth.
6 That Thy beloved may be delivered, save with Thy right hand, and answer me.
7 God hath spoken in His holiness: “I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem, and mete out the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the strength of Mine head; Judah is My lawgiver.
9 Moab is My washpot; over Edom will I cast My shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.”
10 Who will bring me into the stronghold city? Who will lead me into Edom?
11 Wilt not Thou, O God, who hast cast us off? And wilt not Thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
12 Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do valiantly, for He it is that shall tread down our enemies.
9 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly; and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
3 And the asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, “Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.”
4 And he passed through Mount Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not; and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.
5 And when they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, lest my father leave caring for the asses and take thought for us.”
6 And he said unto him, “Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man. All that he saith cometh surely to pass. Now let us go thither. Perhaps he can show us our way that we should go.”
7 Then said Saul to his servant, “But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels and there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What have we?”
8 And the servant answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have here at hand a fourth part of a shekel of silver. That will I give to the man of God to tell us our way.”
9 (Before this in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spoke: “Come, and let us go to the seer”; for he that is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)
10 Then said Saul to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went unto the city where the man of God was.
11 And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, “Is the seer here?”
12 And they answered them and said, “He is; behold, he is before you. Make haste now, for he came today to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people today on the high place.
13 As soon as ye have come into the city, ye shall straightway find him before he go up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that are bidden. Now therefore get you up, for about this time ye shall find him.”
14 And they went up into the city; and when they had come into the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them to go up to the high place.
14 And He was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass when the devil had gone out, the dumb one spoke; and the people wondered.
15 But some of them said, “He casteth out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils.”
16 And others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from Heaven.
17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand — because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub?
19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges.
20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, doubt not the Kingdom of God is come upon you.
21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.
22 But when one stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
23 He that is not with Me, is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth.
24 “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, ‘I will return unto my house whence I came out.’
25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
26 Then he goeth and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
27 And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee and the breasts which Thou hast sucked.”
28 But He said, “Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it.”
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.