Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

20 Unto the end. A psalm for David.

² In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.

³ Thou hast given him his heart's desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.

⁴ For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.

⁵ He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.

⁶ His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him.

⁷ For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance.

⁸ For the king hopeth in the Lord: and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.

⁹ Let thy hand be found by all thy enemies: let thy right hand find out all them that hate thee.

¹⁰ Thou shalt make them as an oven of fire, in the time of thy anger: the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, and fire shall devour them.

¹¹ Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth: and their seed from among the children of men.

¹² For they have intended evils against thee: they have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish.

¹³ For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face.

¹⁴ Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy own strength: we will sing and praise thy power.

¹⁵ Thus saith the Lord: A voice was heard on high of lamentation, of mourning, and weeping, of Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted for them, because they are not.

¹⁶ Thus saith the Lord: Let thy voice cease from weeping, and thy eyes from tears: for there is a reward for thy work, saith the Lord: and they shall return out of the land of the enemy.

¹⁷ And here is hope for thy last end, saith the Lord: and the children shall return to their own borders.

¹⁸ Hearing I heard Ephraim when he went into captivity: thou hast chastised me, and I was instructed, as a young bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Convert me, and I shall be converted, for thou art the Lord my God.

¹⁹ For after thou didst convert me, I did penance: and after thou didst shew unto me, I struck my thigh: I am confounded and ashamed, because I have borne the reproach of my youth.

²⁰ Surely Ephraim is an honourable son to me, surely he is a tender child: for since I spoke of him, I will still remember him. Therefore are my bowels troubled for him: pitying I will pity him, saith the Lord.

²¹ Set thee up a watchtower, make to thee bitterness: direct thy heart into the right way, wherein thou hast walked: return, O virgin of Israel, return to these thy cities.

²² How long wilt thou be dissolute in deliciousness, O wandering daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth: A WOMAN SHALL COMPASS A MAN.

⁴¹ And when he drew near, seeing the city, he wept over it, saying:

⁴² If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace; but now they are hidden from thy eyes.

⁴³ For the days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side,

⁴⁴ And beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee: and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation.