Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 22^[a]

To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] Aijeleth Hashshahar [the hind of the morning dawn]. A Psalm of David.

¹ My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?^(A)

² O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You answer not; and by night I am not silent or find no rest.

³ But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].

⁴ Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted (leaned on, relied on You, and were confident) and You delivered them.

⁵ They cried to You and were delivered; they trusted in, leaned on, and confidently relied on You, and were not ashamed or confounded or disappointed.

⁶ But I am a worm, and no man; I am the scorn of men, and despised by the people.^(B)

⁷ All who see me laugh at me and mock me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,^(C)

⁸ He trusted and rolled himself on the Lord, that He would deliver him. Let Him deliver him, seeing that He delights in him!^(D)

⁹ Yet You are He Who took me out of the womb; You made me hope and trust when I was on my mother’s breasts.

¹⁰ I was cast upon You from my very birth; from my mother’s womb You have been my God.

¹¹ Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is none to help.

¹² Many [foes like] bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have hedged me in.^(E)

¹³ Against me they opened their mouths wide, like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is softened [with anguish] and melted down within me.

¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery; [with thirst] my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You have brought me into the dust of death.^(F)

20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,

² Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and I make haste [to offer it] for this reason.

³ I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame, but out of my understanding my spirit answers me.

⁴ Do you not know from of old, since the time that man was placed on the earth,

⁵ That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless and defiled is but for a moment?^(A)

⁶ Though his [proud] height mounts up to the heavens and his head reaches to the clouds,

⁷ Yet he will perish forever like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, Where is he?

⁸ He will fly away like a dream and will not be found; yes, he will be chased away as a vision of the night.

⁹ The eye which saw him will see him no more, neither will his [accustomed] place any more behold him.

¹⁰ The poor will oppress his children, and his hands will give back his [ill-gotten] wealth.

¹¹ His bones are full of youthful energy, but it will lie down with him in the dust.

¹² Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hides it under his tongue,

¹³ Though he is loath to let it go but keeps it still within his mouth,

¹⁴ Yet his food turns [to poison] in his stomach; it is the venom of asps within him.

¹⁵ He has swallowed down [his ill-gotten] riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his belly.

¹⁶ He shall suck the poison of asps [which ill-gotten wealth contains]; the viper’s tongue shall slay him.

¹⁷ He shall not look upon the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter [to enjoy his wealth].

¹⁸ That which he labored for shall he give back and shall not swallow it down [to enjoy it]; according to his wealth shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice in it.

¹⁹ For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has violently taken away a house which he did not build.

²⁰ Because his desire and greed knew no quietness within him, he will not save anything of that in which he delights.

²¹ There was nothing left that he did not devour; therefore his prosperity will not endure.

²² In the fullness of his sufficiency [in the time of his great abundance] he shall be poor and in straits; every hand of everyone who is in misery shall come upon him [he is but a wretch on every side].

²³ When he is about to fill his belly [as in the wilderness when God sent the quails], God will cast the fierceness of His wrath upon him and will rain it upon him while he is eating.^(B)

²⁴ He will flee from the iron weapon, but the bow of bronze shall strike him through.

²⁵ [The arrow] is drawn forth and it comes out after passing through his body; yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall. Terrors march in upon him;

²⁶ Every misfortune is laid up for his treasures. A fire not blown by man shall devour him; it shall consume what is left in his tent [and it shall go ill with him who remains there].

²⁷ The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.

²⁸ The produce and increase of his house will go into exile [with the victors], dragged away in the day of [God’s] wrath.

²⁹ This is the wicked man’s portion from God, and the heritage appointed to him by God.

15 Then from Jerusalem came scribes and Pharisees and said,

² Why do Your disciples transgress and violate the rules handed down by the elders of the past? For they do not practice [ceremonially] washing their hands before they eat.

³ He replied to them, And why also do you transgress and violate the commandment of God for the sake of the rules handed down to you by your forefathers (the elders)?

⁴ For God commanded, Honor your father and your mother, and, He who curses or reviles or speaks evil of or abuses or treats improperly his father or mother, let him surely come to his end by death.^(A)

⁵ But you say, If anyone tells his father or mother, What you would have gained from me [that is, the money and whatever I have that might be used for helping you] is already dedicated as a gift to God, then he is exempt and no longer under obligation to honor and help his father or his mother.

⁶ So for the sake of your tradition (the rules handed down by your forefathers), you have set aside the Word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect].

⁷ You pretenders (hypocrites)! Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said:

⁸ These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me.

⁹ Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men.^(B)