Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹ For the music director, of David.
The fool said in his heart:
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt; their deeds are vile;
    there is no one who does good.^[a]
2 Adonai looked down from heaven on the children of men,
to see if there are any who understand,
    who seek after God.
³ They all turned aside, became corrupt.
There is no one who does good
—not even one.
⁴ “Will evildoers never understand—
those who consume My people as they eat bread—
and never call on Adonai?”
⁵ There they are, in great dread.
For God is with the righteous generation.
⁶ You would frustrate the plan of the lowly.
Surely Adonai is his refuge!
⁷ O may He give Israel’s salvation out of Zion!
When Adonai restores His captive people,
Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad!

²⁹ At the sound of horsemen and archers
        the whole city flees.
    They go into the thickets
        and climb up on the rocks.
    The whole city is deserted—
        no one dwells in it.
³⁰ And you, O desolate one, what will you do?
    Though you dress in scarlet,
    though you adorn yourself with gold ornaments
    though you enlarge your eyes with paint—
    in vain
        you make yourself beautiful—
    your lovers despise you,
        they seek your life.
³¹ For I heard a cry like one in labor,
    the anguish of one giving birth to her first child—
    the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath,
        stretching out her hands saying,
        “Oy, now to me!
        For my soul faints
        before murderers.”