Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Book One
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
1 Blessed is the man[a]
who (A)walks not in (B)the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in (C)the way of sinners,
nor (D)sits in (E)the seat of (F)scoffers;
2 but his (G)delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,
and on his (H)law he meditates day and night.
18 (A)Three things are (B)too wonderful for me;
(C)four I do not understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a virgin.
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”
21 Under (D)three things (E)the earth trembles;
under (F)four it cannot bear up:
22 (G)a slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when he is (H)filled with food;
23 (I)an unloved woman when she (J)gets a husband,
and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
24 (K)Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25 (L)the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 (M)the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27 the locusts have no (N)king,
yet all of them march in (O)rank;
28 the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings' palaces.
29 (P)Three things are stately in their tread;
(Q)four are stately in their stride:
30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and (R)does not turn back before any;
31 the (S)strutting rooster,[a] the he-goat,
and a king whose army is with him.[b]
32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
(T)put your hand on your mouth.
33 For pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.
The Mystery of Israel's Salvation
25 (A)Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:[a] (B)a partial hardening has come upon Israel, (C)until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
(D)“The Deliverer will come (E)from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27 “and this will be my (F)covenant with them
(G)when I take away their sins.”
28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are (H)beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and (I)the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as (J)you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now[b] receive mercy. 32 For God (K)has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.