Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹ Turn Your ear toward us, Shepherd of Israel,
    You who lead the children of Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned above heaven’s winged creatures,^[b]
    radiate Your light!
² In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
    arouse Your strength and power,
    and save us!

³ Bring us back to You, God.
    Turn the light of Your face upon us so that we will be rescued from this sea of darkness.

⁴ O Eternal God, Commander of heaven’s armies,
    how long will You remain angry at the prayers of Your sons and daughters?
⁵ You have given them tears for food;
    You have given them an abundance of tears to drink.
⁶ You have made us a source of trouble for our neighbors—
    our enemies laugh to each other behind our backs.
⁷ O God, Commander of heaven’s armies, bring us back to You.
    Turn the light of Your face upon us so that we will be rescued from this sea of darkness.

⁸ You took us like a grapevine dug from the soil of Egypt;
    You forced out the nations and transplanted it in Your land.
⁹ You groomed the ground around it,
    planted it so it would root deep into the earth, and it covered all the land.
¹⁰ As it grew, the mountains were blanketed by its shadow;
    the mighty cedars were covered by its branches.
¹¹ The plant extended its branches to the Mediterranean Sea,
    and spread its shoots all the way to the Euphrates River.
¹² God, why have You pulled down the wall that protected it
    so that everyone who wanders by can pick its sweet grapes?
¹³ The wild boar of the forest eats it all,
    and the creatures of the field feast upon it.

¹⁴ O God, Commander of heaven’s armies, come back to us.
    Gaze down from heaven and see what has happened.
Keep watch over this vine, and nourish it.
¹⁵ Look after the saplings which You planted with Your own right hand,
    the child whom You have raised and nurtured for Yourself.
¹⁶ Your enemies have chopped it down and burned it with fire;
    may they be destroyed by the sight of Your rebuke.
¹⁷ Let Your protective hand rest on the one who is at Your right hand,
    the child of man whom You have raised and nurtured for Yourself.
¹⁸ Then we will not turn away from You.
    Bring us back to life! And we will call out for You!

¹⁹ O Eternal God, Commander of heaven’s armies, bring us back to You.
    Turn the light of Your face upon us so that we will be rescued from this sea of darkness.

⁹ Get up, you women who lie around in your life of ease;
    hear my voice, you careless daughters, and listen to what I have to say.
¹⁰ Soon—in a year and a few days—you will shudder and shake;
    your mindless lounging will come to an end, careless daughters.
For the wine you so enjoyed will be gone, with none to replace it.
    There will be no fruit, no grapes to mash and juice.
¹¹ Be worried, women of ease;
    be bothered and anxious, careless daughters.
Strip off your fine clothes and replace them
    with sackcloth; dress for mourning.
¹² Beat your breasts over the loss of those lush vineyards,
    over the vines, heavy with fruit.
¹³ Mourn over my people’s land, verdant and lush,
    now the habitat of thorns and briars—
Yes, for all the happy homes and vibrant cities.
¹⁴ Palaces and bustling cities will be abandoned;
    hilltop posts and watchtowers will serve as caves for animals;
    wild donkeys and flocks will enjoy the wide open spaces.
¹⁵ So it will be until God pours out the Spirit from up above,
    and the land comes alive again—desert to fertile field, fertile field to forest.
¹⁶ Then justice and truth will settle in the desert places,
    and righteousness will infuse the fertile land.
¹⁷ Then righteousness will yield peace, and the quiet and confidence
    that attend righteousness will be present forever.
¹⁸ My people’s homes and hometowns will be filled with peace;
    they’ll relax, safe and secure.
¹⁹ Before such reconciliation, there will be cold, hard hail,
    raining down when the forests fall and the cities are razed to the ground.
²⁰ And you, you who plant on streams’ edges
    and let your oxen and donkeys range free,
You will be happy.