Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
17 Hear what is right, O LORD. Consider my cry. Hear my prayer of unfeigned lips.
2 Let my sentence come forth from Your presence. And let Your eyes behold equity.
3 You have tested and visited my heart in the night. You have tried me and found nothing. For I have purposed that my mouth should not offend.
4 Concerning the works of men, by the words of Your lips I kept myself from the paths of the cruel man.
5 Keep my steps in Your paths, so that my feet do not slide.
6 I have called upon You. Surely You will hear me, O God. Incline Your ear to me and hear my words.
7 Show Your marvelous mercies, You Who are the Savior of those who trust in You from such as resist Your right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye. Hide me under the shadow of Your wings
9 from the wicked who oppress me, from my enemies who surround me for my soul.
10 They are enclosed in their own fat. They have spoken proudly with their mouth.
11 They have surrounded us now in our steps. They have set their eyes to bring us down to the ground.
12 Like a lion that is greedy for prey (and as it were a lion’s whelp) lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, LORD! Disappoint him! Cast him down! Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword;
14 from men, by Your hand, O LORD; from men of the world who have their portion in this life; whose bellies You fill with Your hidden treasure. Their children have enough and leave the rest of their substance for their children.
15 But I will behold Your face in righteousness. And when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your image. To him who excels: A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD. Who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies (and from the hand of Saul) and said,
21 And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to count Israel.
2 Therefore, David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, “Go. Count Israel from Beersheba to Dan and bring it to me, so that I may know the number of them.”
3 And Joab answered, “May the LORD increase His people a hundred times as many as they are, O my lord the king! But, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of offense to Israel?”
4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. And Joab departed and went through all Israel and returned to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab gave the number and sum of the people to David. And all Israel numbered one million one hundred thousand men who drew sword. And Judah numbered four hundred seventy thousand men who drew sword.
6 But he did not count the Levites and Benjamin among them; for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this thing. Therefore, He struck Israel.
8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing. But now, I pray, remove the iniquity of Your servant. For I have acted very foolishly.”
9 And the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s Seer, saying,
10 “Go and tell David, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “I offer you three things. Choose one of them, so that I may do it for you.”’”
11 So Gad came to David, and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Take for yourself
12 ‘either three years of famine or three months to be destroyed before your adversaries with the sword of your enemies taking you, or else the sword of the LORD and pestilence for three days in the land, so that the Angel of the LORD may destroy throughout all the territories of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what word I shall bring back to Him who sent me.”
13 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let me now fall into the hand of the LORD. For His mercies are exceedingly great. And let me not fall into the hand of man.”
14 So, the LORD sent a pestilence in Israel. And seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
15 And God sent the Angel into Jerusalem, to destroy it. And as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and relented of the misery, and said to the Angel that destroyed, “It is enough now. Let your hand cease.” Then the Angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 And David lifted up his eyes and saw the Angel of the LORD stand between the Earth and the sky, with his sword drawn in his hand and stretched out toward Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said to God, “Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Is it not also I who has sinned and has committed evil” But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, I pray, let Your Hand be on me and on my father’s House, and not on Your people, to their destruction.”
2 My little children, these things I write to you so that you do not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father: Jesus Christ, the Just.
2 And He is the reconciliation for our sins; and not only for ours, but also for the whole world.
3 And by this we are sure that we know Him: if we keep His Commandments.
4 The one who says, “I know him,” and does not keep His Commandments, is a liar. And the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His Word, in him is the love of God accomplished. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 Whoever says that he remains in Him, ought still to walk as He has walked.
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