Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
52 (0) For the leader. A maskil of David, 2 when Do’eg from Edom came and told Sha’ul, “David has arrived at the house of Achimelekh”:
3 (1) Why do you boast of your evil, you tyrant,
when God’s mercy is present every day?
4 (2) Your tongue, as sharp as a razor,
plots destruction and works deception.
5 (3) You love evil more than good,
lies rather than speaking uprightly. (Selah)
6 (4) You love all words that eat people up,
you deceitful tongue!
7 (5) This is why God will strike you down,
seize you, pluck you from your tent
and uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
8 (6) The righteous will see and be awestruck;
they will jeer at him, saying,
9 (7) “This fellow would not make God his refuge,
but trusted in his own great wealth,
relying on his evil plots.”
10 (8) But I am like a leafy olive tree
in the house of God;
I put my trust in the grace of God
forever and ever.
11 (9) I will praise you forever for what you have done,
and I will put my hope in your name;
for this is what is good
in the presence of your faithful.
22 Adonai said, “Go down to the house of the king of Y’hudah and there speak this word: 2 ‘King of Y’hudah occupying David’s throne, hear the word of Adonai — you, your servants and your people who enter through these gates. 3 This is what Adonai says:
“Do what is right and just;
rescue the wronged from their oppressors;
do nothing wrong or violent
to the stranger, orphan or widow;
don’t shed innocent blood in this place.
4 “‘“If you are careful to do this, then future kings occupying David’s throne will enter these palace gates riding in chariots and on horses — he, his servants and his people. 5 But if you will not pay attention to these words, then I swear by myself,” says Adonai, “that this palace will become a ruin.”’
6 “For here is what Adonai says concerning the palace of the king of Y’hudah:
‘You are like Gil‘ad to me,
like the peak of the L’vanon;
yet I will turn you into a desert,
uninhabited cities.
7 I will designate men to destroy you,
each one with his weapons;
they will chop down your choice cedars
and throw them in the fire.’
8 “Many nations will pass by this city, and they will say to one another, ‘Why has Adonai done such a thing to this great city?’ 9 The answer will be, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of Adonai their God and worshipped other gods, serving them.’”
43 “For no good tree produces bad fruit, nor does a bad tree produce good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit — figs aren’t picked from thorn bushes, nor grapes from a briar patch. 45 The good person produces good things from the store of good in his heart, while the evil person produces evil things from the store of evil in his heart. For his mouth speaks what overflows from his heart.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.