Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

52 Unto the end, for Maeleth, understandings to David. The fool said in his heart: There is no God.

² They are corrupted, and become abominable in iniquities: there is none that doth good.

³ God looked down from heaven on the children of men: to see if there were any that did understand, or did seek God.

⁴ All have gone aside, they are become unprofitable together, there is none that doth good, no not one.

⁵ Shall not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they eat bread?

⁶ They have not called upon God: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear. For God hath scattered the bones of them that please men: they have been confounded, because God hath despised them.

⁷ Who will give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? when God shall bring back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

31 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, the third month, the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

² Son of man, speak to Pharao king of Egypt, and to his people: To whom art thou like in thy greatness?

³ Behold, the Assyrian was like a cedar in Libanus, with fair branches, and full of leaves, of a high stature, and his top was elevated among the thick boughs.

⁴ The waters nourished him, the deep set him up on high, the streams thereof ran round about his roots, and it sent forth its rivulets to all the trees of the country.

⁵ Therefore was his height exalted above all the trees of the country: and his branches were multiplied, and his boughs were elevated because of many waters.

⁶ And when he had spread forth his shadow, all the fowls of the air made their nests in his boughs, and all the beasts of the forest brought forth their young under his branches, and the assembly of many nations dwelt under his shadow.

⁷ And he was most beautiful for his greatness, and for the spreading of his branches: for his root was near great waters.

⁸ The cedars in the paradise of God were not higher than he, the fir trees did not equal his top, neither were the plane trees to be compared with him for branches: no tree in the paradise of God was like him in his beauty.

⁹ For I made him beautiful and thick set with many branches: and all the trees of pleasure, that were in the paradise of God, envied him.

¹⁰ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because he was exalted in height, and shot up his top green and thick, and his heart was lifted up in his height:

¹¹ I have delivered him into the hands of the mighty one of the nations, he shall deal with him: I have cast him out according to his wickedness.

¹² And strangers, and the most cruel of the nations shall cut him down, and cast him away upon the mountains, and his boughs shall fall in every valley, and his branches shall be broken on every rock of the country: and all the people of the earth shall depart from his shadow, and leave him.

¹¹ See what a letter I have written to you with my own hand.

¹² For as many as desire to please in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer the persecution of the cross of Christ.

¹³ For neither they themselves who are circumcised, keep the law; but they will have you to be circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

¹⁴ But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.

¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

¹⁶ And whosoever shall follow this rule, peace on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From henceforth let no man be troublesome to me; for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body.

¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.