Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁸ I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints,
    but let them not turn again to folly.
⁹ Surely His salvation is near to them who fear Him,
    that glory may dwell in our land.

¹⁰ Mercy and truth have met together;
    righteousness and peace have kissed.
¹¹ Truth springs from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
¹² Yes, the Lord gives that which is good,
    and our land shall yield its increase.
¹³ Righteousness shall go before Him
    and prepare a way for His footsteps.

For three transgressions of Israel,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they sell the righteous for silver,
    and the poor for a pair of sandals.
⁷ They trample the head of the poor
    into the dust of the earth,
    and push the oppressed out of the way.
A man and his father go in to the same woman,
    profaning My holy name.
⁸ They recline by every altar
    on garments taken in pledge,
and in the house of their gods
    they drink the wine from those who have been fined.

⁹ Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,
    whose height was like the height of the cedars.
    He was strong as the oaks,
yet I destroyed his fruit above
    and his roots below.

¹⁰ It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
    and led you forty years through the wilderness,
    to possess the land of the Amorite.

¹¹ I raised up some of your sons as prophets,
    and some of your young men as Nazirites.
Is it not so, O children of Israel?
    says the Lord.
¹² But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
    and commanded the prophets, saying, “Do not prophesy.”

¹³ Indeed I will slow you down,
    as a wagon is slowed that is full of sheaves.
¹⁴ Flight will perish from the swift,
    the strong will not retain his strength,
    nor will the warrior save his life.
¹⁵ The bowman will not stand firm,
    the swift-footed will not escape,
    nor will the horseman save his life.
¹⁶ He that is courageous among the warriors
    will flee away naked on that day,
    says the Lord.