Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

1 Blessed is the man, that goeth not in the counsel of wicked men; and stood not in the way of sinners, and sat not in the chair of pestilence. (Happy is the person who goeth not in the counsel of the wicked; and walketh not in the way of sinners, and sitteth not in the chair of pestilence.)

² But his will is in the law of the Lord; and he shall bethink in the law of him day and night. (But his delight is in the Law of the Lord; and he shall think about his Law day and night.)

³ And he shall be as a tree, which is planted beside the runnings of waters; that shall give his fruit in his time. And his leaf shall not fall down; and all things, whichever he shall do, shall have prosperity. (And he shall be like a tree, which is planted beside the running water; it shall give its fruit at its proper time, and its leaves shall not fall down. Yea, everything, whatever he shall do, shall prosper.)

⁴ Not so wicked men, not so; but they be as dust, which the wind casteth away from the face of the earth. (Not so the wicked, not so; but they be like the dust, which the wind bloweth away from off the face of the earth.)

⁵ Therefore wicked men rise not again in doom; neither sinners in the council of just men. (And so the wicked shall not stand long at the judgement; nor shall the sinners stand with the congregation of the righteous.)

⁶ For the Lord knoweth the way of just men; and the way of wicked men shall perish. (For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the wicked shall perish on their own way.)

¹⁸ Three things be hard to me, and utterly I know not the fourth thing (and the fourth thing I utterly know not);

¹⁹ the way of an eagle in (the) heaven(s); the way of a serpent on a stone; the way of a ship in the middle of the sea; and the way of a man in (his) young waxing age.

²⁰ Such is the way of a woman adulteress, which eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I wrought not evil. (Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and then saith, I have done nothing wrong.)

²¹ The earth is moved by three things, and by the fourth thing, which it may not sustain;

²² by a servant, when he reigneth; by a fool, when he is filled with meat (by a fool, when he is filled full with food);

²³ by an hateful woman, when she is taken in matrimony; and by an handmaid, when she is heir of her lady (and by a servantess, when she is her lady’s heir).

²⁴ Four [things] be the least things of [the] earth, and those be wiser than wise men;

²⁵ ants, a feeble people, that make ready meat in harvest to themselves; (ants, a weak, or a lowly, people, that store-up food for themselves at harvest time;)

²⁶ a hare, a people unmighty, that setteth his bed in a stone; (rock badgers, also an unmighty people, who make their beds among the rocks;)

²⁷ a locust, (that) hath no king, and (yet) all goeth out by companies;

²⁸ a lizard, enforceth with hands, and dwelleth in the houses of kings. (and a lizard, that endeavoureth with his hands, and liveth in palaces.)

²⁹ Three things there be, that go well (And there be three things, that go well), and the fourth thing, that goeth richly, or wellsomely.

³⁰ A lion, strongest of beasts, shall not dread, at the meeting of any man; (A lion, the strongest of beasts, that shall not fear the meeting of any man;)

³¹ a cock, girded [up] the loins; and a ram, (and a king,) and none there is that shall against-stand him. (a strutting rooster; and a ram; and a king for whom there is no one who shall stand up against him.)

³² He that appeareth a fool, after that he is raised [up] on high; for if he had understood, he had set (his) hand on his mouth. (Now, if thou hath been a fool, and hath raised up thyself on high, and hath imagined evil; then set thy hand upon thy mouth, and be silent.)

³³ Forsooth he that thrusteth strongly teats, to draw out milk, thrusteth out butter; and he that smiteth greatly, draweth out blood; and he that stirreth ires, bringeth forth discords. (For he who strongly thrusteth teats to draw out milk, thrusteth out butter; and he who greatly striketh, draweth out blood; and he who stirreth up anger, bringeth forth discords.)

²⁵ But, brethren, I will not that ye not know this mystery, that ye be not wise to yourselves; for blindness hath fallen a part in Israel, till that the plenty of heathen men entered, [Forsooth, brethren, I will not that ye unknow this mystery, that ye be not wise to yourselves; for blindness hath felled of part in Israel, till the plenty of heathen men entered,]

²⁶ and so all Israel should be made safe. As it is written, He shall come of Sion, that shall deliver, and turn away the wickedness of Jacob [and turn away the unpiety of Jacob].

²⁷ And this testament to them of me, when I shall do away their sins.

²⁸ After the gospel they be enemies for you, but they be most dear-worthy by the election [after the election] for the fathers.

²⁹ And the gifts and the calling of God be without repenting. [Soothly the gifts and calling of God be without repenting.]

³⁰ And as sometime also ye believed not to God, but now ye have gotten mercy for the unbelief of them;

³¹ so and these now believed not into your mercy [so and these now believed not to your mercy], that also they get mercy.

³² For God closed all things together in unbelief [Forsooth God closed together all things in unbelief], that he have mercy on all.