Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

¹ ¶ LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.

² There are many who say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

³ But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter up of my head.

⁴ ¶ I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he answered me out of the mountain of his holiness. Selah.

⁵ I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for the LORD sustained me.

⁶ I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about.

⁷ Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God, for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the jawbone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

⁸ Salvation belongs unto the LORD; thy blessing shall be upon thy people. Selah.

²² ¶ And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and extending his hands toward heaven,

²³ he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in the heavens above or on earth beneath, who keeps the covenant and mercy with thy slaves that walk before thee with all their heart,

²⁴ who hast kept unto thy slave David, my father, what thou didst declare unto him; thou didst say it with thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with thy hand, as we see this day.

²⁵ Therefore, now, LORD God of Israel, fulfill unto thy slave David, my father, what thou didst promise him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if thy sons keep their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.

²⁶ And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be made firm, which thou didst speak unto thy slave David, my father.

²⁷ But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens, the heavens of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built?

²⁸ Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy slave and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy slave prays before thee today,

²⁹ that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there that thou may hearken unto the prayer which thy slave shall make in this place.

³⁰ Therefore, thou shalt hearken unto the supplication of thy slave and of thy people Israel when they shall pray in this place and hear in thy dwelling place, from the heavens; please hear and forgive.

⁹ But take heed to yourselves, for they shall deliver you up in the councils, and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten; and ye shall be called before rulers and kings for my sake for a testimony unto them.

¹⁰ And the gospel needs to be preached unto all the Gentiles first.

¹¹ But when they shall bring you to deliver you up, do not premeditate beforehand what ye shall speak, neither think ye regarding it, but whatever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye, for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit.

¹² Now the brother shall deliver the brother unto death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents and shall kill them.

¹³ And ye shall be hated by everyone for my name, but he that shall persevere unto the end, the same shall be saved.

¹⁴ ¶ But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation (spoken of by Daniel the prophet) standing where it ought not, he that reads, let him understand, then let those that are in Judaea flee to the mountains;

¹⁵ and let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein to take any thing out of his house;

¹⁶ and let him that is in the field not turn back again even to take up his garment.

¹⁷ But woe to those that are with child and to those that give suck in those days!

¹⁸ Pray, therefore, that your flight not be in winter.

¹⁹ For those days shall be of affliction such as never was from the beginning of the creation of the things which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

²⁰ And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved, but for the elect’s sake, whom he has chosen, he has shortened those days.

²¹ And then if anyone should say to you, Behold, here is the Christ, or, Behold, he is there, do not believe him;

²² for false Christs and false prophets shall rise and shall show signs and wonders to seduce, if possible, even the elect.

²³ But take ye heed; behold, I have told you everything beforehand.