Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
55 1 David being in great heaviness and distress, complaineth of the cruelty of Saul, 13 and of the falsehood of his familiar acquaintance, 17 Uttering the most ardent affections to move the Lord to pity him. 22 After, being assured of deliverance, he setteth forth the grace of God, as though he had already obtained his request.
To him that excelleth on Neginoth. A Psalm of David to give instruction.
1 Hear [a]my prayer, O God, and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2 Hearken unto me, and answer me: I mourn in my prayer, and make a noise,
3 For the [b]voice of the enemy, and for the vexation of the wicked, because [c]they have brought iniquity upon me, and furiously hate me.
4 Mine heart trembleth within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling are come upon me, and an horrible fear hath [d]covered me.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove: then would I [e]fly away and rest.
7 Behold I would take my flight far off, and lodge in the wilderness. Selah.
8 He would make haste for my deliverance [f]from the stormy wind and tempest.
9 Destroy, O Lord, and [g]divide their tongues: for I have seen cruelty and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof, both [h]iniquity and mischief are in the midst of it.
11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12 Surely mine [i]enemy did not defame me, for I could have borne it: neither did mine adversary exalt himself against me: for I would have hid me from him.
13 But it was thou, O man, even my [j]companion, my guide, and my familiar:
14 Which delighted in consulting together, and went into the house of God as companions.
15 Let death seize upon them: let them [k]go down quick into the grave: for wickedness is in their dwellings even in the midst of them.
15 1 Eliphaz reprehendeth Job, because he ascribeth wisdom and pureness to himself. 16 He describeth the curse that falleth on the wicked, reckoning Job to be one of the number.
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 Shall a wise man speak words of the [a]wind? and fill his belly [b]with the East wind?
3 Shall he dispute with words not comely? or with talk that is not profitable?
4 Surely thou hast cast off [c]fear, and restrainest prayer before God:
5 For thy mouth declareth thine iniquity, seeing thou hast chosen the [d]tongue of the crafty.
6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I, and thy lips testify against thee.
7 Art thou the [e]first man that was born? and wast thou made before the hills?
8 Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God, and dost thou restrain wisdom [f]to thee?
9 What knowest thou that we know not? and understandest that is not in us?
10 With us are both ancient and very aged men, far older than thy father.
11 Seem the consolations of God [g]small unto thee? is this thing strange unto thee?
12 Why doth thine heart [h]take thee away, and what do thine eyes mean,
13 That thou answerest to God [i]at thy pleasure, and bringest such words out of thy mouth?
14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he that is born of woman, that he should [j]be just?
15 Behold, he found no steadfastness in his Saints: yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16 How much more is man abominable, and filthy, which [k]drinketh iniquity like water?
17 I will tell thee: hear me, and I will declare that which I have seen:
18 Which wise men have told, as they have heard of their fathers, and have not kept it secret:
19 To whom alone the land was [l]given, and no stranger passed through them.
20 The wicked man is continually as one that travaileth of child, and the number [m]of years is hid from the tyrant.
21 A sound of fear is in his ears, and in his prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22 He believeth not to return out of [n]darkness: for he seeth the sword before him.
23 He wandereth [o]to and fro for bread where he may: he knoweth that the day of darkness is prepared at hand.
24 Affliction and [p]anguish shall make him afraid: they shall prevail against him as a king ready to the battle.
25 For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and made himself strong against the Almighty.
26 Therefore God shall run upon him, even upon his neck, and against the most thick part of his shield.
27 Because he hath covered his face with [q]his fatness, and hath collops in his flank.
28 Though he dwell [r]in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, but are become heaps,
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the [s]perfection thereof in the earth.
30 He shall never depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall go away with the breath of his mouth.
31 He [t]believeth not that he erreth in vanity: therefore vanity shall be his change.
32 His branch shall not be green, but shall be cut off before his day.
33 God shall destroy him as the vine her sour [u]grape, and shall cast him off, as the olive doth her flower.
34 For the congregation of the hypocrite shall be desolate, and fire shall devour the houses of [v]bribes.
35 For they [w]conceive mischief and bring forth vanity, and their belly hath prepared deceit.
27 ¶ [a]Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, (A)Thou shalt not commit adultery.
28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 (B)Wherefore if thy [b]right eye cause thee [c]to offend, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for better it is for thee, that one of thy members perish, than that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 Also if thy right hand make thee to offend, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for better it is for thee, that one of thy members perish, than that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
31 It hath been said also, (C)Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorcement.
32 But I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife (except it be for fornication) causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery.
33 [d]Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, (D)Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform thine oaths to the Lord.
34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God:
35 Nor yet by the earth, for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem: for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thine head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.