Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹ Blessed^[c] is the man
    who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stand in the way of sinners,
    nor sit in the company of scoffers.
² Rather, his delight is in the law of the Lord,^[d]
    and on that law he meditates day and night.
³ He is like a tree planted near streams of water,
    which bears fruit in its season,
    and whose leaves never wither.^[e]
In the same way,
    everything he does will prosper.
⁴ This is not true of the wicked,
    for they are like chaff that the wind blows away.^[f]
5 Therefore, the wicked will not stand firm at the judgment,^[g]
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
⁶ For the Lord watches over^[h] the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

¹⁸ There are three things too wonderful for me to comprehend,
    four that are beyond my understanding:
¹⁹ the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a snake over a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a maiden.^[a]

²⁰ This is the way of an adulteress:
    she eats, then wipes her mouth
    and says, “I have done nothing wrong.”

²¹ There are three things that cause the earth to tremble,
    indeed four things that it cannot endure:
²² a slave crowned as a king,
    a fool gorged with food,
²³ a hateful woman when she snares a husband,
    and a servant girl when she supplants her mistress.

²⁴ There are four creatures among the tiniest on the earth
    who are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
²⁵ the ants, a species without strength,
    yet they gather their food in the summer;
²⁶ the rock-badgers, a species without power,
    yet they make their home in the rocks;
²⁷ the locusts, a species without a king,
    yet they all march forth in formation;
²⁸ the lizards, a species you can catch in your hands,
    yet they are found in the palaces of kings.

²⁹ There are three creatures that are stately in their stride,
    four that are stately as they walk:
³⁰ the lion, the mightiest of wild animals,
    who retreats from nothing;
³¹ the strutting rooster, the he-goat,^[e]
    and a king at the head of his army.

³² If you have been foolish enough to exalt yourself^[f]
    or if you have devised evil,
    put your hand over your mouth.
³³ For as churning the milk produces curds
    and twisting the nose produces blood,
    so stirring up anger produces strife.

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion;
    he will banish godlessness from Jacob
²⁷ And this will be my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”