Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Fool Says, There Is No God
To the choirmaster. Of David.
14 (A)The (B)fool says in his heart, (C)“There is no God.”
They are (D)corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
(E)there is none who does good.
2 The Lord (F)looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,[a]
who (G)seek after God.
3 They have all turned aside; together they have become (H)corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.
4 Have they no (I)knowledge, all the evildoers
who (J)eat up my people as they eat bread
and (K)do not call upon the Lord?
5 There they are in great terror,
for God is with (L)the generation of the righteous.
6 You would shame the plans of the poor,
but[b] the Lord is his (M)refuge.
7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord (N)restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
David Defeats Ammon and Syria
10 (A)After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, “I will deal loyally[a] with Hanun the son of (B)Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites. 3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, (C)at their hips, and sent them away. 5 When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”
9 And so, (A)from the day we heard, (B)we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that (C)you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all (D)spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as (E)to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, (F)fully pleasing to him: (G)bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 (H)being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for (I)all endurance and patience (J)with joy; 12 (K)giving thanks[a] to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in (L)the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He (M)has delivered us from (N)the domain of darkness and transferred us to (O)the kingdom of (P)his beloved Son, 14 (Q)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.