Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer upon, Do not destroy, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.

¹ ¶ Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those that rise up against me.

² Deliver me from the workers of iniquity and save me from bloodthirsty men.

³ For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul; the strong are gathered against me; I am not in rebellion, nor in sin, O LORD.

⁴ They run and prepare themselves when I have committed no iniquity; awake to help me and behold.

⁵ Thou, therefore, O LORD God of the hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the Gentiles; be not merciful to any rebellious workers of iniquity. Selah.

⁶ They will return at evening; they will bark like dogs and go round about outside the city.

⁷ Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips; for who, say they, doth hear?

⁸ ¶ But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the Gentiles in derision.

⁹ I will reserve his strength unto thee, for God is my defence.

¹⁰ The God of my mercy shall meet me on the way; God shall let me see my desire upon my enemies.

¹¹ Slay them not lest my people forget; scatter them by thy power and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

¹² For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; they shall be subject to weakness and to a curse.

¹³ Consume them in wrath, consume them that they may not be and let them know that God rules in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

¹⁴ And at evening let them return and let them bark like dogs and go round about outside the city.

¹⁵ Let them wander up and down for food and murmur if they are not satisfied.

¹⁶ But I will sing of thy power; I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning, for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

¹⁷ Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing, for God is my defence and the God of my mercy.

9 ¶ Then Elisha, the prophet, called one of the sons of the prophets and said unto him, Gird up thy loins and take this flask of oil in thy hand and go to Ramothgilead.

² And when thou comest there, thou shalt see Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, there; go in and make him arise up from among his brethren and take him to an inner chamber.

³ Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door and flee and do not tarry.

⁴ So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

⁵ And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting, and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain.

⁶ And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

⁷ And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my slaves, the prophets, and the blood of all the slaves of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

⁸ For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, he that is shut up as well as he that is left in Israel.

⁹ And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah.

¹⁰ And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. And he opened the door and fled.

¹¹ ¶ Then Jehu came forth to the slaves of his lord, and one said unto him, Is there peace? Why did this mad fellow come to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication.

¹² And they said, We know not; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus he spoke unto me, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I have anointed thee king over Israel.

¹³ Then they hastened, and each man took his garment, and put it under him in a high throne, and blew the shofar, saying, Jehu is king.

¹⁸ For the word of the cross {Gr. stauros – stake} is foolishness to those that perish, but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God.

¹⁹ For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

²⁰ Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the philosopher of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

²¹ For in the wisdom of God, since the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe.

²² For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom,

²³ but we preach Christ crucified, {Gr. Stauroo – hung on a stake} unto the Jews a stumblingblock and unto the Gentiles foolishness;

²⁴ but unto those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

²⁵ For that which is foolish of God is wiser than men, and that which is weak of God is stronger than men.

²⁶ For look upon your vocation, brothers, that ye are not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,

²⁷ but rather God has chosen that which is the foolishness of the world to confound the wise, and God has chosen that which is the weakness of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

²⁸ and that which is vile of the world and that which is despised God has chosen, and things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are,

²⁹ that no flesh should glory in his presence.

³⁰ But of him ye are reborn in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

³¹ that, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.