Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

5 Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my meditation.

² Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for unto Thee will I pray.

³ My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee and will look up.

⁴ For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; neither shall evil dwell with Thee.

⁵ The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight; Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

⁶ Thou shalt destroy them that speak lies; the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

⁷ But as for me, I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy, and in Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple.

⁸ Lead me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make Thy way straight before my face.

⁹ For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is exceeding wickedness. Their throat is an open sepulcher; they flatter with their tongue.

¹⁰ Destroy Thou them, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels. Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against Thee.

¹¹ But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them; let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.

¹² For Thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt Thou compass him about as with a shield.

10 Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

² For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie and have told false dreams. They comfort in vain; therefore they went their way as a flock; they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

³ “Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats; for the Lord of hosts hath visited His flock, the house of Judah, and hath made them as His goodly horse in the battle.

⁴ Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.

⁵ And they shall be as mighty men, who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.

⁶ “And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them back to place them, for I have mercy upon them. And they shall be as though I had not cast them off, for I am the Lord their God and will hear them.

⁷ And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine; yea, their children shall see it and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.

⁸ “I will whistle for them and gather them, for I have redeemed them; and they shall increase as they have increased.

⁹ And I will sow them among the people, and they shall remember Me in far countries; and they shall live with their children and turn again.

¹⁰ I will bring them back also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, and a place shall not be found for them.

¹¹ And He shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up; and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart away.

¹² And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in His name,” saith the Lord.

⁶ But whoso shall cause one of these little ones who believe in Me to fall, it were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

⁷ “Woe unto the world because of offenses! For it must happen that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.

⁸ Therefore if thy hand or thy foot cause thee to fall, cut them off and cast them from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire.

⁹ And if thine eye cause thee to fall, pluck it out and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.