Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

² Let the redeemed of the Lord speak out,
    whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
³ and gathered them from the lands,
    from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

⁴ They wandered in the wilderness on a deserted path;
    they found no city to dwell in.
⁵ Hungry and thirsty,
    their soul fainted in them.
⁶ Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble,
    and He delivered them out of their distresses.
⁷ He led them on a level road,
    that they might go to a city to live in.
⁸ Let them praise the Lord for His goodness
    and for His wonderful works to the people!
⁹ For He satisfies the longing soul
    and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

⁴³ Whoever is wise let him observe these things;
    let them consider the lovingkindness of the Lord.

⁵ What will you do on the appointed day,
    and on the day of the festival of the Lord?
⁶ For indeed they are gone because of destruction.
    Egypt will gather them,
    and Memphis will bury them.
Nettles will possess their pleasant things of silver,
    and thorns will be in their tents.
⁷ The days of punishment have come;
    the days of recompense have come.
    Israel knows!
The prophet is a fool;
    the man of the spirit is insane,
because of your great iniquity and great hatred.
⁸ The watchman of Ephraim is a prophet
    for my God;
yet a fowler’s snare is on all his ways,
    and hatred in the house of his God.
⁹ They have deeply corrupted themselves
    as in the days of Gibeah.
He will remember their iniquity,
    He will punish their sins.

¹⁰ Like grapes in the wilderness,
    I found Israel.
Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season,
    I saw your fathers.
But they went to Baal Peor
    and consecrated themselves to a thing of shame,
    and they became an abomination like the thing they loved.
¹¹ As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird:
    no birth, no pregnancy, no conception!
¹² Though they bring up their children,
    I will bereave them until none are left.
Woe to them indeed,
    when I depart from them!
¹³ Just as I saw Ephraim like Tyre,
    planted in a pleasant place,
so now Ephraim will bring out
    his children for slaughter.

¹⁴ Give them, O Lord—
    what will You give?
Give them a miscarrying womb
    and dry breasts.

¹⁵ All their wickedness is in Gilgal,
    for there I hated them.
Because of the wickedness of their deeds,
    I will drive them out of My house.
I will love them no more.
    All their princes are rebels.
¹⁶ Ephraim is stricken,
    their root is dried up,
    they shall bear no fruit.
Even though they give birth,
    I will slay the beloved offspring of their womb.

¹⁷ My God will reject them
    because they did not listen to Him,
    and they will be wanderers among the nations.