Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁴ My heart is in anguish within me;
    ^(F)the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
⁵ Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and ^(G)horror ^(H)overwhelms me.
⁶ And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
^7 (I)yes, I would wander far away;
    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
⁸ I would hurry to find a shelter
    from ^(J)the raging wind and tempest.”

⁹ Destroy, O Lord, ^(K)divide their tongues;
    for I see ^(L)violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰ Day and night they go around it
    on its walls,
and ^(M)iniquity and trouble are within it;
¹¹     ruin is in its midst;
^(N)oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its marketplace.

¹² For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who ^(O)deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
^13 (P)But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
¹⁴ We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God's house we walked in ^(Q)the throng.
¹⁵ Let death steal over them;
    let them go down to Sheol ^(R)alive;
    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

² “Should ^(B)a multitude of words go unanswered,
    and a man full of talk be judged right?
³ Should your babble silence men,
    and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
⁴ For ^(C)you say, ‘My ^(D)doctrine is pure,
    and I am clean in God's^[a] eyes.’
⁵ But oh, that God would speak
    and open his lips to you,
⁶ and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
    For he is manifold in ^(E)understanding.^[b]
Know then that God ^(F)exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

^7 (G)“Can you find out the deep things of God?
    Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
⁸ It is ^(H)higher than heaven^[c]—what can you do?
    Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
⁹ Its measure is longer than the earth
    and broader than the sea.
¹⁰ If he ^(I)passes through and ^(J)imprisons
    and summons the court, who can ^(K)turn him back?
¹¹ For he knows ^(L)worthless men;
    when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
¹² But a stupid man will get understanding
    when ^(M)a wild donkey's colt is ^(N)born a man!

¹³ “If you ^(O)prepare your heart,
    you will ^(P)stretch out your hands toward him.
¹⁴ If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
    and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
¹⁵ Surely then you will ^(Q)lift up your face without ^(R)blemish;
    you will be secure and will not fear.
¹⁶ You will ^(S)forget your misery;
    you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
¹⁷ And your life will be ^(T)brighter than the noonday;
    its darkness will be like the morning.
¹⁸ And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
    you will look around and ^(U)take your rest in security.
¹⁹ You will ^(V)lie down, and none will make you afraid;
    many will ^(W)court your favor.
²⁰ But ^(X)the eyes of the wicked will fail;
    all way of escape will be lost to them,
    and their hope is ^(Y)to breathe their last.”