麥克謙一年通讀

The Joyful Sheaves of One Who Sowed in Tears

¹A song of degrees, or Psalme of David. When ye Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Zion, we were like them that dreame.

²Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with ioye: then sayd they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.

³The Lord hath done great things for vs, whereof we reioyce.

⁴O Lord, bring againe our captiuitie, as the riuers in the South.

⁵They that sowe in teares, shall reape in ioy.

⁶They went weeping and caried precious seede: but they shall returne with ioye and bring their sheaues.

Unless the Lord Builds the House

¹A song of degrees, or Psalme of Salomon. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vaine that build it: except the Lord keepe the citie, the keeper watcheth in vaine.

²It is in vaine for you to rise earely, and to lie downe late, and eate the bread of sorow: but he wil surely giue rest to his beloued.

³Beholde, children are the inheritance of the Lord, and the fruite of the wombe his rewarde.

⁴As are the arrowes in the hand of ye strong man: so are the children of youth.

⁵Blessed is the man, that hath his quiuer full of them: for they shall not be ashamed, when they speake with their enemies in the gate.

The Blessing of a Home That Fears the Lord

¹A song of degrees. Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his wayes.

²When thou eatest the labours of thine hands, thou shalt be blessed, and it shall be well with thee.

³Thy wife shalbe as the fruitfull vine on the sides of thine house, and thy children like the oliue plantes round about thy table.

⁴Lo, surely thus shall the man be blessed, that feareth the Lord.

⁵The Lord out of Zion shall blesse thee, and thou shalt see the wealth of Ierusalem all the dayes of thy life.

⁶Yea, thou shalt see thy childrens children, and peace vpon Israel.

The Warrior Who Treads Edom and Returns

¹Who is this that commeth from Edom, with red garments from Bozrah? hee is glorious in his apparel and walketh in his great strength: I speake in righteousnesse, and am mightie to saue.

²Wherefore is thine apparel red, and thy garments like him that treadeth in ye wine presse?

³I haue troden the wine presse alone, and of all people there was none with mee: for I will treade them in mine anger, and tread them vnder foote in my wrath, and their blood shalbe sprinkled vpon my garments, and I will staine all my raiment.

⁴For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the yeere of my redeemed is come.

⁵And I looked, and there was none to helpe, and I wondered that there was none to vpholde: therefore mine owne arme helped me, and my wrath it selfe sustained me.

⁶Therefore I wil tread downe the people in my wrath, and make them drunken in mine indignation, and wil bring downe their strength to the earth.

A Plea Remembering the LORD's Former Mercies

⁷I wil remember the mercies of the Lord and the prayses of the Lord according vnto all that the Lord hath giuen vs, and for the great goodnesse toward the house of Israel, which hee hath giuen them according to his tender loue, and according to his great mercies.

⁸For he saide, Surely they are my people, children that wil not lie: so he was their Sauiour.

⁹In all their troubles he was troubled, and the Angel of his presence saued them: in his loue and in his mercie he redeemed them, and he bare them and caried them alwayes continually.

¹⁰But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore was hee turned to be their enemie and he fought against them.

¹¹Then he remembred the olde time of Moses and his people, saying, Where is hee that brought them vp out of the Sea with the shepheard of his sheepe? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?

¹²He led them by the right hand of Moses with his owne glorious arme, deuiding the water before them, to make himselfe an euerlasting Name.

¹³Hee led them through the deepe, as an horse in the wildernesse, that they should not stumble,

¹⁴As the beast goeth downe into the valley, the Spirite of the Lord gaue them rest: so diddest thou leade thy people, to make thy selfe a glorious Name.

¹⁵Looke downe from heauen, and beholde from the dwelling place of thine holines, and of thy glory. Where is thy zeale and thy strength, the multitude of thy mercies, and of thy compassions? they are restrained from me.

¹⁶Doutles thou art our Father: though Abraham be ignorant of vs, and Israel knowe vs not, yet thou, O Lord, art our Father, and our redeemer: thy Name is for euer.

¹⁷O Lord, why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes? and hardened our heart from thy feare? Returne for thy seruants sake, and for the tribes of thine inheritance.

¹⁸The people of thine holinesse haue possessed it, but a litle while: for our aduersaries haue troden downe thy Sanctuarie.

¹⁹We haue bene as they, ouer whome thou neuer barest rule, and vpon whom thy Name was not called.

¹And it came to passe that when Iesus had made an ende of commaunding his twelue disciples, hee departed thence to teache and to preach in their cities.

The Question from John the Baptist

²And when Iohn heard in the prison the woorkes of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and sayde vnto him,

³Art thou he that shoulde come, or shall we looke for another?

⁴And Iesus answering, said vnto them, Goe, and shewe Iohn, what things ye heare, and see.

⁵The blinde receiue sight, and the halt doe walke: the lepers are clensed, and the deafe heare, the dead are raised vp, and the poore receiue the Gospel.

⁶And blessed is he that shall not be offeded in me.

⁷And as they departed, Iesus beganne to speake vnto the multitude, of Iohn, What went ye out into the wildernes to see? A reede shaken with the winde?

⁸But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that weare soft clothing, are in Kings houses.

⁹But what went ye out to see? A Prophet? Yea, I say vnto you, and more then a Prophet.

¹⁰For this is he of whom it is written, Beholde, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

¹¹Verely I say vnto you, among them which are begotten of women, arose there not a greater then Iohn Baptist: notwithstanding, he that is the least in the kingdome of heauen, is greater then he.

¹²And from the time of Iohn Baptist hitherto, the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

¹³For all the Prophetes and the Lawe prophecied vnto Iohn.

¹⁴And if ye will receiue it, this is that Elias, which was to come.

¹⁵He that hath eares to heare, let him heare.

¹⁶But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like vnto litle children which sit in the markets, and call vnto their fellowes,

¹⁷And say, We haue piped vnto you, and ye haue not daunced, we haue mourned vnto you, and ye haue not lamented.

¹⁸For Iohn came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a deuill.

¹⁹The sonne of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Beholde a glutton and a drinker of wine, a friend vnto Publicanes and sinners: but wisedome is iustified of her children.

Woe to the Unrepentant Cities

²⁰Then began he to vpbraide the cities, wherein most of his great workes were done, because they repented not.

²¹Woe be to thee, Chorazin: Woe be to thee, Bethsaida: for if ye great workes, which were done in you, had bene done in Tyrus and Sidon, they had repented long agone in sackecloth and ashes.

²²But I say to you, It shalbe easier for Tyrus and Sidon at the day of iudgement, then for you.

²³And thou, Capernaum, which art lifted vp vnto heauen, shalt be brought downe to hell: for if the great workes, which haue bin done in thee, had bene done among them of Sodom, they had remained to this day.

²⁴But I say vnto you, that it shall be easier for them of the land of Sodom in the day of iudgement, then for thee.

Come to Me, All Who Labor

²⁵At that time Iesus answered, and saide, I giue thee thankes, O Father, Lord of heauen and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding, and hast opened them vnto babes.

²⁶It is so, O Father, because thy good pleasure was such.

²⁷All things are giuen vnto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Sonne, but ye Father: neither knoweth any man ye Father, but the Sonne, and he to whom ye Sonne will reueile him.

²⁸Come vnto me, all ye that are wearie and laden, and I will ease you.

²⁹Take my yoke on you, and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart: and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules.

³⁰For my yoke is easie, and my burden light.