Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

52 Unto the end, for Maeleth, understandings to David. The fool said in his heart: There is no God.

² They are corrupted, and become abominable in iniquities: there is none that doth good.

³ God looked down from heaven on the children of men: to see if there were any that did understand, or did seek God.

⁴ All have gone aside, they are become unprofitable together, there is none that doth good, no not one.

⁵ Shall not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they eat bread?

⁶ They have not called upon God: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear. For God hath scattered the bones of them that please men: they have been confounded, because God hath despised them.

⁷ Who will give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? when God shall bring back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

6 Woe to you that are wealthy in Sion, and to you that have confidence in the mountain of Samaria: ye great men, heads of the people, that go in with state into the house of Israel.

² Pass ye over to Chalane, and see, and go from thence into Emath the great: and go down into Geth of the Philistines, and to all the best kingdoms of these: if their border be larger than your border.

³ You that are separated unto the evil day: and that approach to the throne of iniquity;

⁴ You that sleep upon beds of ivory, and are wanton on your couches: that eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the herd;

⁵ You that sing to the sound of the psaltery: they have thought themselves to have instruments of music like David;

⁶ That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best ointments: and they are not concerned for the affliction of Joseph.

⁷ Wherefore now they shall go captive at the head of them that go into captivity: and the faction of the luxurious ones shall be taken away.

⁸ The Lord God hath sworn by his own soul, saith the Lord the God of hosts: I detest the pride of Jacob, and I hate his houses, and I will deliver up the city with the inhabitants thereof.

⁹ And if there remain ten men in one house, they also shall die.

¹⁰ And a man's kinsman shall take him up, and shall burn him, that he may carry the bones out of the house; and he shall say to him that is in the inner rooms of the house: Is there yet any with thee?

¹¹ And he shall answer: There is an end. And he shall say to him: Hold thy peace, and mention not the name of the Lord.

¹² For behold the Lord hath commanded, and he will strike the greater house with breaches, and the lesser house with clefts.

¹³ Can horses run upon the rocks, or can any one plough with buffles? for you have turned judgment into bitterness, and the fruit of justice into wormwood.

¹⁴ You that rejoice in a thing of nought: you that say: Have we not taken unto us horns by our own strength?

¹⁵ But behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall destroy you from the entrance of Emath, even to the torrent of the desert.

⁴ And when a very great multitude was gathered together, and hastened out of the cities unto him, he spoke by a similitude.

⁵ The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

⁶ And other some fell upon a rock: and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

⁷ And other some fell among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it, choked it.

⁸ And other some fell upon good ground; and being sprung up, yielded fruit a hundredfold. Saying these things, he cried out: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

⁹ And his disciples asked him what this parable might be.

¹⁰ To whom he said: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to the rest in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing may not understand.