Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
74 1 The faithful complain of the destruction of the Church and true religion, 2 Under the Name of Zion, and the Temple destroyed: 11 and trusting in the might and free mercies of God, 20 by his covenant , 21 they require help and succor for the glory of God’s holy Name, for the salvation of his poor afflicted servants, 23 and the confusion of his proud enemies.
A Psalm to give instruction, committed to Asaph.
1 O God, [a]why hast thou put us away forever? why is thy wrath kindled against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 Think upon the congregation, which thou hast possessed of old, and on the [b]rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, and on this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift up thy [c]strokes, that thou mayest forever destroy every enemy that doeth evil to the Sanctuary.
4 Thine adversaries roar in the midst of thy congregation, and [d]set up their banners for signs.
5 He that [e]lifted the axes upon the thick trees, was renowned as one that brought a thing to perfection:
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof with axes and hammers.
7 They have cast thy Sanctuary into the fire, and razed it to the ground, and have defiled the dwelling place of thy Name.
8 They said in their [f]hearts, Let us destroy them altogether: they have burnt all the Synagogues of God in the land.
9 We see not our signs: there is not one Prophet more, nor any with us that knoweth [g]how long.
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach thee? shall the enemy blaspheme thy Name forever?
11 Why withdrawest thou thine hand, even thy right hand? draw it out of thy bosom, and [h]consume them.
12 Even God is my king of old, working salvation [i]in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy power: thou brakest the heads of the [j]dragons in the waters.
14 Thou brakest the head of [k]Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be [l]meat for the people in wilderness.
15 Thou brakest up the fountain and river: thou driest up mighty rivers.
16 The [m]day is thine, and the night is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made Summer and Winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached the Lord, and the foolish people hath blasphemed thy Name.
19 Give not the soul of thy [n]turtle dove unto the beast, and forget not the Congregation of thy poor forever.
20 Consider thy covenant: for [o]the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of the cruel.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed, but let the poor and needy praise thy Name.
22 Arise, O God: maintain thy [p]own cause: remember thy daily reproach by the foolish man.
23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: for the tumult of them that rise against thee, [q]ascendeth continually.
8 Woe unto them that join house to house, and lay field to field, till there be no [a]place, that ye may be placed by yourselves in the midst of the earth.
9 This is in mine [b]ears, saith the Lord of hosts. Surely many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair without inhabitant.
10 For ten acres of vines shall yield one [c]bath, and the seed of an [d]homer shall yield an [e]ephah.
11 ¶ Woe unto them, that [f]rise up early to follow drunkenness, and to them that continue until [g]night, till the wine do inflame them,
12 And the harp and viol, timbrel and pipe, and wine are in their feasts: but they regard not the [h]work of the Lord, neither consider the work of his hands.
13 Therefore my people [i]is gone into captivity, because they had [j]no knowledge, and the glory thereof are men famished, and the multitude thereof is dried up with thirst.
14 Therefore [k]hell hath enlarged itself, and hath opened his mouth without measure, and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth among them, shall descend into it.
15 And man shall be brought down, and man shall be humbled, even the eyes of the proud shall be humbled.
16 And the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and the holy God shall be sanctified in justice.
17 Then shall [l]the lambs feed after their manner, and the strangers shall eat the desolate places of the fat.
18 ¶ Woe unto them that draw iniquity with [m]cords of vanity, and sin, as with cart ropes:
19 Which say, [n]Let him make speed: let him hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it.
20 Woe unto them that speak good of evil, [o]and evil of good, which put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for sour.
21 Woe unto them that are [p]wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.
22 Woe unto them that are [q]mighty to drink wine, and unto them that are strong to pour in strong drink:
23 Which justify the wicked for a reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him.
4 1 Having spoken somewhat touching the trying of spirits: 4 For some speak after the world, 5 and some after God. 7 He returneth to charity, 11, 19 and by the example of God he exhorteth to brotherly love.
1 Dearly [a]beloved, believe not every [b]spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: for many false Prophets are gone out into the world.
2 [c]Hereby shall ye know the Spirit of God, [d]Every spirit which confesseth that [e]Jesus Christ is come in the [f]flesh is of God.
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: but this is the spirit of Antichrist, of whom ye have heard, how that he should come, and now already he is in this world.
4 [g]Little children, ye are of God, and have overcome them: for greater is he that is in you, than he that is in this world.
5 [h]They are of this world, therefore spake they of this world, and this world heareth them.
6 [i]We are of God, (A)he that knoweth God, heareth us: he that is not of God heareth us not. Hereby know we the [j]Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.