Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁷ O God of hosts, restore us
And cause Your face to shine upon us, that we might be saved.

⁸ You removed a ^(A)vine from Egypt;
You ^(B)drove out the ^[a]nations and then You ^(C)planted it.
⁹ You ^(D)cleared the ground before it,
And it ^(E)took deep root and filled the land.
¹⁰ The mountains were covered with its shadow,
And ^[b]the cedars of God with its ^(F)boughs.
¹¹ It sent out its branches ^(G)to the sea
And its shoots to the River.
¹² Why have You ^(H)broken down its ^[c]hedges,
So that all who pass that way pick its fruit?
¹³ A boar from the forest ^(I)devours it
And whatever moves in the field feeds on it.

¹⁴ O God of hosts, ^(J)return now, we beseech You;
^(K)Look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine,
¹⁵ Even the ^[d](L)sapling which Your right hand has planted,
And on the ^[e]son whom You have ^[f]strengthened for Yourself.

²³ “^(A)How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;
I have not walked after the ^(B)Baals’?
Look at your way in the ^(C)valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel ^(D)entangling her ways,
²⁴ A ^(E)wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her ^[a]heat who can turn her away?
All who seek her will not become weary;
In her month they will find her.
²⁵ Keep your feet from being barefoot
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘^(F)It is ^[b]hopeless!
No! For I have ^(G)loved strangers,
And after them I will walk.’

²⁶ “As the ^(H)thief is shamed when he is found,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their princes,
And their priests and their prophets,
²⁷ Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their ^(I)back to Me
And not their face;
But in the ^(J)time when their evil comes they will say,
‘Arise and save us.’
²⁸ But where are your ^(K)gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can ^(L)save you
In the time when your evil comes;
For ^(M)according to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.

²⁹ “Why do you contend with Me?
You have ^(N)all transgressed against Me,” declares Yahweh.
³⁰ “^(O)In vain I have struck your sons;
They received no discipline.
Your ^(P)sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
³¹ O generation, ^[c]behold the word of Yahweh.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel
Or a ^(Q)land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘^(R)We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
³² Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have ^(S)forgotten Me
Days without number.
³³ How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even ^[d]the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
³⁴ Also on your skirts is found
The ^(T)lifeblood of the innocent needy;
You did not find them ^(U)breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
³⁵ Yet you said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will ^(V)enter into judgment with you
Because you ^(W)say, ‘I have not sinned.’
³⁶ Why do you ^(X)despise Him so much
In changing your way?
Also, ^(Y)you will be put to shame by Egypt
As you were put to shame by ^(Z)Assyria.
³⁷ From this place also you will go out
With ^(AA)your hands on your head;
For Yahweh has rejected ^(AB)those in whom you trust,
And you will not succeed with them.”