Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse sheweth the work of his hands.

² Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

³ There is no speech and there are no words, yet their voice is heard.

⁴ Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their language to the extremity of the world. In them hath he set a tent for the sun,

⁵ And he is as a bridegroom going forth from his chamber; he rejoiceth as a strong man to run the race.

⁶ His going forth is from the end of the heavens, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

⁷ The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple;

⁸ The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes;

⁹ The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever; the judgments of Jehovah are truth, they are righteous altogether:

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold, yea, than much fine gold; and sweeter than honey and the dropping of the honeycomb.

¹¹ Moreover, by them is thy servant enlightened; in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who understandeth [his] errors? Purify me from secret [faults].

¹³ Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be perfect, and I shall be innocent from great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer.

²⁴ A sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, and will not even bring it to his mouth again.

²⁵ Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware; reprove the intelligent, and he will understand knowledge.

²⁶ He that ruineth [his] father and chaseth away [his] mother is a son that causeth shame and bringeth reproach.

²⁷ Cease, my son, to hear the instruction which causeth to stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸ A witness of Belial scorneth judgment, and the mouth of the wicked swalloweth down iniquity.

²⁹ Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of the foolish.

¹⁷ So also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself.

¹⁸ But some one will say, *Thou* hast faith and *I* have works. Shew me thy faith without works, and *I* from my works will shew thee my faith.

¹⁹ *Thou* believest that God is one. Thou doest well. The demons even believe, and tremble.

²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

²² Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and that by works faith was perfected.

²³ And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called Friend of God.

²⁴ Ye see that a man is justified on the principle of works, and not on the principle of faith only.

²⁵ But was not in like manner also Rahab the harlot justified on the principle of works, when she had received the messengers and put [them] forth by another way?

²⁶ For as the body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.