Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

^3 (A) They are like trees
    growing beside a stream,
trees that produce
fruit in season
    and always have leaves.
Those people succeed
    in everything they do.

⁴ That isn't true of those
    who are evil—
they are like straw
    blown by the wind.
⁵ Sinners won't have an excuse
    on the day of judgment,
and they won't have a place
    with the people of God.
⁶ The Lord protects everyone
    who follows him,
but the wicked follow a road
    that leads to ruin.

¹⁸ There are three or four things
    I cannot understand:
^19 (A) How eagles fly so high
    or snakes crawl on rocks,
how ships sail the ocean
    or people fall in love.

²⁰ An unfaithful wife says,
“Sleeping with another man
    is as natural as eating.”

²¹ There are three or four things
that make the earth tremble
    and are unbearable:
²² A slave who becomes king,
    a fool who eats too much,
²³ a hateful woman
    who finds a husband,
and a slave who takes the place
    of the woman who owns her.

²⁴ On this earth four things
    are small but very wise:
²⁵ Ants, who seem to be feeble,
but store up food
    all summer long;
²⁶ badgers, who seem to be weak,
    but live among the rocks;
²⁷ locusts, who have no king,
    but march like an army;
²⁸ lizards,^[a] which can be caught
in your hand,
    but sneak into palaces.

²⁹ Three or four creatures
    really strut around:
³⁰ Those fearless lions
    who rule the jungle,
³¹ those proud roosters,
    those mountain goats,
and those rulers
    who have no enemies.^[b]

³² If you are foolishly bragging
or planning something evil,
    then stop it now!
³³ If you churn milk
    you get butter;
if you pound on your nose,
    you get blood—
and if you stay angry,
    you get in trouble.