Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
48 The song of psalm, of the sons of Korah. The Lord is great, and worthy to be praised full much; in the city of our God, in the holy hill of him. (The song of the psalm, for the sons of Korah. The Lord is great, and worthy to be greatly praised; in the city of our God, on his holy hill.)
2 It is founded in the full out joying of all earth; the hill of Zion, the sides of the north, the city of the great king. (Well-placed, it is the full out joy, or the rejoicing, of all the earth; Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.)
3 God shall be known in the houses thereof; when he shall take it. (And God is known as a refuge, or a stronghold, in its palaces.)
4 For lo! the kings of (the) earth were gathered together (against it); they came into one place.
5 They seeing, so wondered; they were troubled, they were moved (al)together, (But when they saw it, they wondered about it/they were full of wonder, or amazement; and they were troubled, and ran away,)
6 trembling took them. There sorrows, as of a woman travailing of child; (for panic, or trembling, took hold of them there. And sorrows, like when a woman laboureth with child;)
7 in a great spirit thou shalt all-break the ships of Tarshish. (or when a great east wind all-breaketh the ships from Tarshish.)
8 As we heard, so we saw, in the city of the Lord of virtues, in the city of our God; God hath founded that city [into] without end. (All that we had heard about, we saw with our own eyes, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God; and God hath established that city forever.)
9 God, we have received thy mercy; in the midst of thy temple. (God, we think about thy love; in the midst of thy Temple.)
10 After thy name, God, so thy praising is spread abroad into the ends of earth; thy right hand is full of rightwiseness. (The praising of thy name, O God, is spread abroad unto the ends of the earth; thy right hand is full of righteousness.)
11 The hill of Zion be glad, and the daughters of Judah be fully joyful; for thy dooms, Lord. (Let Mount Zion be glad, or rejoice, and let the daughters of Judah make full out joy; because of thy judgements, Lord.)
12 Compass ye Zion, and embrace ye it; tell ye in the towers thereof. (March ye around Zion, ye people; and count ye up its towers.)
13 Set ye your hearts in the virtue of him; and part ye the houses of him, that ye tell out in another generation. (Put ye its strongholds, or its fortresses, in your hearts; and think ye about its palaces, so that ye can tell about it to the next generation.)
14 For this is God, our God, into without end, and into the world of world; he shall govern us into worlds. (For this God is our God, forever and ever; yea, he shall govern us forever.)
3 Therefore a long strife was made betwixt the house of David and the house of Saul; and David profited and ever[more] was stronger than himself, in comparison of time passed, for his power increased ever, but the house of Saul decreased each day. (And so for a long time there was strife between the house of David and the house of Saul; and David grew in strength, that is, as more time that passed, the more his power increased, but the house of Saul grew ever weaker.)
2 And sons were born to David in Hebron; and his first begotten son was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
3 and after him was Chileab, of Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel; and the third was Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;
4 and the fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith; and the fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital;
5 and the sixth was Ithream, of Eglah, the wife of David. These (sons) were born to David in Hebron.
6 Therefore when battle was betwixt the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner, the son of Ner, governed the house of Saul.
7 And to Saul was a concubine, that is, a secondary wife, Rizpah by name, the daughter of Aiah; and Abner entered [in] to her. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Why hast thou entered [in] to the concubine of my father?
8 And Abner was wroth greatly for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Whether I am the head of a dog against Judah today, and I have done mercy on the house of Saul, thy father, and on his brethren, and neighbours, and I betook not thee into the hands of David, and (yet) thou hast sought in me that, that thou shouldest reprove for a woman today? (And Abner was greatly angered by Ishbosheth’s words, and said, Am I the head of a dog, that is, a traitor, and do I serve Judah today? have I not shown mercy, or loyalty, to the house of Saul, thy father, and to his brothers, and to his neighbours? I did not deliver thee into the hands of David, and yet today thou hast sought that for which thou wouldest reprove me for, yea, for but a woman!)
9 God do these things to Abner, and add these things to him, no but as the Lord swore to David, so I do with him (so I shall do for him),
10 that the realm be translated from the house of Saul (that the kingdom be transferred from the house of Saul), and (that) the throne of David be raised on Israel and on Judah, from Dan till to Beersheba.
11 And Ishbosheth might not answer anything to Abner, for he dreaded Abner (for he feared Abner).
12 Therefore Abner sent messengers to David, and they said for him, Whose is the land? and that the messengers should (also) speak thus, Make thou friendships with me, and mine hand shall be with thee, and I shall bring (over) all Israel to thee.
7 See ye the things that be after the face. If any man trusteth to himself, that he is of Christ, think he this thing again with himself, for as he is Christ's, so also we [so and we].
8 For if I shall glory any thing more of our power, which the Lord gave to us into edifying, and not into your destruction, I shall not be shamed.
9 But that I be not guessed as to frighten you by epistles, [Forsooth that I be not guessed as to fear you by epistles,]
10 for they say, That epistles be grievous and strong, but the presence of the body is feeble, and the word worthy to be despised.[a]
11 He that is such one, think this, for such as we absent be in word by epistles, such we be present in deed.
2001 by Terence P. Noble