Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

77 To the Overseer, for Jeduthun. -- A Psalm of Asaph. My voice [is] to God, and I cry, my voice [is] to God, And He hath given ear unto me.

² In a day of my distress the Lord I sought, My hand by night hath been spread out, And it doth not cease, My soul hath refused to be comforted.

¹¹ I mention the doings of Jah, For I remember of old Thy wonders,

¹² And I have meditated on all Thy working, And I talk concerning Thy doings.

¹³ O God, in holiness [is] Thy way, Who [is] a great god like God?

¹⁴ Thou [art] the God doing wonders. Thou hast made known among the peoples Thy strength,

¹⁵ Thou hast redeemed with strength Thy people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

¹⁶ The waters have seen Thee, O God, The waters have seen Thee, They are afraid -- also depths are troubled.

¹⁷ Poured out waters have thick clouds, The skies have given forth a noise, Also -- Thine arrows go up and down.

¹⁸ The voice of Thy thunder [is] in the spheres, Lightnings have lightened the world, The earth hath trembled, yea, it shaketh.

¹⁹ In the sea [is] Thy way, And Thy paths [are] in many waters, And Thy tracks have not been known.

²⁰ Thou hast led as a flock Thy people, By the hand of Moses and Aaron!

1 And Moab transgresseth against Israel after the death of Ahab,

² and Ahaziah falleth through the lattice in his upper chamber that [is] in Samaria, and is sick, and sendeth messengers, and saith unto them, `Go ye, inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron if I recover from this sickness.'

³ And a messenger of Jehovah hath spoken unto Elijah the Tishbite, `Rise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and speak unto them, Is it because there is not a God in Israel -- ye are going to inquire of Baal Zebub god of Ekron?

⁴ and therefore, thus said Jehovah, The bed whither thou hast gone up, thou dost not come down from it, for thou dost certainly die;' and Elijah goeth on.

⁵ And the messengers turn back unto him, and he saith unto them, `What [is] this -- ye have turned back!'

⁶ And they say unto him, `A man hath come up to meet us, and saith unto us, Go, turn back unto the king who sent you, and ye have said unto him, Thus said Jehovah, Is it because there is not a God in Israel -- thou art sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron? therefore, the bed whither thou hast gone up, thou dost not come down from it, for thou dost certainly die.'

⁷ And he saith unto them, `What [is] the fashion of the man who hath come up to meet you, and speaketh unto you these words?'

⁸ And they say unto him, `A man -- hairy, and a girdle of skin girt about his loins;' and he saith, `He [is] Elijah the Tishbite.'

⁹ And he sendeth unto him a head of fifty and his fifty, and he goeth up unto him (and lo, he is sitting on the top of the hill), and he speaketh unto him, `O man of God, the king hath spoken, Come down.'

¹⁰ And Elijah answereth and speaketh unto the head of the fifty, `And if I [am] a man of God, fire doth come down from the heavens, and consume thee and thy fifty;' and fire cometh down from the heavens, and consumeth him and his fifty.

¹¹ And he turneth and sendeth unto him another head of fifty and his fifty, and he answereth and speaketh unto him, `O man of God, thus said the king, Haste, come down.'

¹² And Elijah answereth and speaketh unto them, `If I [am] a man of God, fire doth come down from the heavens, and consume thee and thy fifty;' and fire of God cometh down from the heavens, and consumeth him and his fifty.

⁸ But then, indeed, not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods,

⁹ and now, having known God -- and rather being known by God -- how turn ye again unto the weak and poor elements to which anew ye desire to be in servitude?

¹⁰ days ye observe, and months, and times, and years!

¹¹ I am afraid of you, lest in vain I did labour toward you.

¹² Become as I [am] -- because I also [am] as ye brethren, I beseech you; to me ye did no hurt,

¹³ and ye have known that through infirmity of the flesh I did proclaim good news to you at the first,

¹⁴ and my trial that [is] in my flesh ye did not despise nor reject, but as a messenger of God ye did receive me -- as Christ Jesus;

¹⁵ what then was your happiness? for I testify to you, that if possible, your eyes having plucked out, ye would have given to me;

¹⁶ so that your enemy have I become, being true to you?

¹⁷ they are zealous for you -- [yet] not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may be zealous;

¹⁸ and [it is] good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you;

¹⁹ my little children, of whom again I travail in birth, till Christ may be formed in you,

²⁰ and I was wishing to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about you.