Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments.
74 They that fear Thee will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Thy word.
75 I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
76 Let, I pray Thee, Thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Thy word unto Thy servant.
77 Let Thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live; for Thy law is my delight.
78 Let the proud be ashamed, for they dealt perversely with me without cause; but I will meditate on Thy precepts.
79 Let those that fear Thee turn unto me, and those that have known Thy testimonies.
80 Let my heart be sound in Thy statutes, that I not be ashamed.
4 “Moreover thou shalt say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord: “‘Shall they fall and not arise? Shall he turn away and not return?
5 Why then has this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
6 I hearkened and heard, but they spoke not aright; no man repented of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.
7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the judgment of the Lord.
8 “‘How do ye say, “We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us”? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.
9 The wise men are ashamed; they are dismayed and taken. Lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord: and what wisdom is in them?
10 Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them. For every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightingly, saying “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.
12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore shall they fall among them that fall; in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.
13 “‘I will surely consume them, saith the Lord. There shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.’”
28 And when they heard these things, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
29 And the whole city was filled with confusion and, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia who were Paul’s companions in his travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater.
30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
31 And certain of the Asian chiefs, who were his friends, sent unto him, urging that he would not venture into the theater.
32 Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and the greater part knew not why they had come together.
33 And they drew Alexander out from the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made his defense unto the people;
34 but when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for about the space of two hours cried out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
35 And when the town clerk had appeased the people, he said, “Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there who knoweth not that the city of the Ephesians is a worshiper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly;
37 for ye have brought hither these men who are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
38 Therefore if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against any man, the law is open and there are deputies. Let them implead one another.
39 But if ye inquire of anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
40 For we are in danger of being called in question for this day’s uproar, there being no cause whereby we can give an account of this concourse.”
41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
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