Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

23 ¶ Now these are the last words of David. David, the son of Jesse, said, and the man who was raised up high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet cantor of Israel, said,

² (The Spirit of the LORD has spoken by me, and his word has been in my tongue.

³ The God of Israel dictated unto me, the strong One of Israel spoke): He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

⁴ And as the light of the morning when the sun rises, of a morning shining forth without clouds, as the shining forth through light rain upon the tender grass of the earth:

⁵ shall not my house be so with God, although all my saving health and my desire shall not be produced yet? For he has made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all things, and it shall be kept;

⁶ but those of Belial shall all be as thorns to be chased away, whom no one takes with the hand;

⁷ but the one that desires to touch them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear, and they are completely burned with fire in their place.

¶ A Song of degrees.

¹ LORD, remember David and all his afflictions:

² How he swore unto the LORD and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

³ surely I will not come into the habitation of my house nor go up into my bed,

⁴ I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,

⁵ until I find out a place for the LORD, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

⁶ Behold, we heard of her in Ephratah; we found her in the fields of the wood.

⁷ We will go into his tents; we will worship at his footstool.

⁸ Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.

⁹ Thy priests are clothed with righteousness, and thy merciful ones shout for joy.

¹⁰ For the love of thy slave David, do not turn away thy face from thine anointed.

¹¹ ¶ The LORD has sworn truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body I will set upon thy throne.

¹² If thy sons will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their sons shall also sit upon thy throne for ever.

¹³ For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired her for his habitation.

¹⁴ This shall be my rest for ever; here I will dwell; for I have desired her.

¹⁵ I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread.

¹⁶ I will also clothe her priests with saving health, and her merciful ones shall shout aloud for joy.

¹⁷ There will I make the horn of David to bud; I have ordained a lamp for my anointed.

¹⁸ His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself shall his crown blossom.

⁴ John, to the seven congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} which are in Asia: Grace be unto you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne

⁵ and from Jesus, the Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins with his own blood

⁶ and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

⁷ Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see him and those also who pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail over him. Even so, Amen.

⁸ I AM the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

³³ Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again and called Jesus and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?

³⁴ Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it unto thee of me?

³⁵ Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me; what hast thou done?

³⁶ Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; now, therefore, my kingdom is not from here.

³⁷ Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I AM king. To this end I was born, and for this cause I came into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice.