Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
44 We have heard with our ears, O God. Our fathers have told us the works that You have done in their days, in the old time.
2 You have driven out the heathen with Your hand and planted them. You have destroyed the people and caused them to go.
3 For they did not inherit the land by their own sword (nor did their own arm save them) but by Your right hand, and Your arm, and the light of Your countenance; because You favored them.
4 You are my King, O God! Send help to Jacob!
5 Through You we have thrust back our adversaries. By Your Name we have trodden down those who rose up against us.
6 For I do not trust in my bow; nor can my sword save me.
7 But You have saved us from our adversaries and have put those who hate us to confusion.
8 We will praise God continually and will confess Your Name forever. Selah.
9 But now, You are far off and put us to confusion, and do not go forth with our armies.
10 You make us turn back from the adversary, and those who hate us get plunder for themselves.
11 You give us as sheep to be eaten and scatter us among the nations.
12 You sell Your people without gain, and do not increase their price.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a jest and laughing stock to those who surround us.
14 You make us a proverb among the nations, and a nodding of the head among the people.
15 My confusion is daily before me and the shame of my face has covered me,
16 because of the voice of the slanderer and rebuker, because of the enemy and avenger.
17 All this has come upon us. Still, we do not forget You. Nor do we deal falsely concerning Your Covenant.
18 Our heart is not turned back, nor have our steps gone out of Your paths;
19 even though You have struck us down into the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the Name of our God, and held up our hands to a strange god,
21 shall not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Surely, for Your sake we are killed continually and are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Up! Why do You sleep, O LORD? Awake! Be not far off forever.
24 Why do you hide Your face and forget our misery and our affliction?
25 For our soul is beaten down to the dust. Our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up for our succor; and redeem us for Your mercy’s sake. To him who excels on Shoshannim: a song of love to give instruction, committed to the sons of Korah.
11 “Indeed, Judah, a harvest is set for you when I shall return My people from captivity.”
7 “When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria. For they have dealt falsely. And the thief comes in and the robber plunders outside.
2 “And they do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own inventions have surrounded them. They are in My sight.
3 “They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4 “They are all adulterers, like bakers who cease to heat an oven after kneading the dough, until it is leavened.
5 “In the day of the king, the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine. He stretches out his hand to scorners.
6 “For they have made ready their heart like an oven while they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all night. In the morning it burns as a flame of fire.
7 “They are all as hot as an oven and have devoured their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one among them who calls to Me.
8 “Ephraim has mixed himself among the people. Ephraim is as an unturned cake on the hearth.
9 “Strangers have devoured his strength and he does not know it. Yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he does not know.
10 “And the pride of Israel testifies to his face. And they do not return to the LORD their God or seek Him for all this.
11 “Also, Ephraim is like a dove, deceived, without heart. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.
12 “When they shall go, I will spread My net upon them and draw them down as the birds of the heaven. I will chastise them, as their Congregation has heard.
13 “Woe to them! For they have fled away from Me. Destruction to them, because they have transgressed against Me. Though I have redeemed them, they have still spoken lies against Me.
14 “And they have not cried to Me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds. They assembled themselves for grain and wine. They rebel against Me.
15 “Though I have bound and strengthened their arm, they still imagine mischief against Me.
16 “They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a deceitful bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword because of the rage of their tongues. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.”
43 “You have heard that it has been said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy’.
44 “But I say to you love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you. And pray for those who hurt you and persecute you,
45 “so that you may be the children of your Father, Who is in Heaven. For He makes His Sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and unjust.
46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward shall you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 “And if you are only friendly to your brothers, what singular thing do you do? Do not even the tax collectors do likewise?
48 “You shall therefore be perfect, as your Father, Who is in Heaven, is perfect.”
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