Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

1 Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence.

² But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.

³ And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.

⁴ Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.

⁵ Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment: nor sinners in the council of the just.

⁶ For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.

¹⁸ Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.

¹⁹ The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man in youth.

²⁰ Such is also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.

²¹ By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:

²² By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:

²³ By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.

²⁴ There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:

²⁵ The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:

²⁶ The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:

²⁷ The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.

²⁸ The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings' houses.

²⁹ There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:

³⁰ A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:

³¹ A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.

³² There is that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon his mouth.

³³ And he that strongly squeezeth the papa to bring out milk, straineth out butter: and he that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood: and he that provoketh wrath bringeth forth strife.

²⁵ For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, (lest you should be wise in your own conceits), that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles should come in.

²⁶ And so all Israel should be saved, as it is written: There shall come out of Sion, he that shall deliver, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

²⁷ And this is to them my covenant: when I shall take away their sins.

²⁸ As concerning the gospel, indeed, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are most dear for the sake of the fathers.

²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.

³⁰ For as you also in times past did not believe God, but now have obtained mercy, through their unbelief;

³¹ So these also now have not believed, for your mercy, that they also may obtain mercy.

³² For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he may have mercy on all.