Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁰ You must not accept a foreign god in your presence;
    you must not bow down to an alien deity.
¹¹ I am the Lord, your God,
    who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
    open your mouth^[a] wide so that I may fill it.’
¹² “But my people did not listen to my voice;
    Israel refused to obey me.^[b]
13 So I abandoned them to their stubborn hearts^[c]
    and let them follow their own devices.
^14 [d]“If only my people would listen to me,
    if only Israel would walk in my ways,^[e]
15 I would quickly subdue their enemies
    and raise my hand^[f] against their foes.
¹⁶ “Then those who hate the Lord^[g] would tremble before him,
    for their doom would last forever.

¹ You are always in the right, O Lord,
    whenever I take a position that conflicts with yours;
    nevertheless, let me plead my case before you.
Why does it happen that the wicked prosper
    and that treacherous people thrive?
² When you planted them, they took root,
    flourished, and brought forth fruit.
Your name is always on their lips,
    but you are far from their hearts.
³ You know me, O Lord, and you see me;
    you are aware that my heart is devoted to you.
Drag off the wicked like
    sheep for a sacrifice;
    set them apart for the day of slaughter.
⁴ For how long a period must the land be in mourning
    and the green grass wither throughout the countryside?
The animals and the birds are perishing
    because of the wickedness of those who dwell there
    and assert that God is not concerned about them.

⁵ If you become exhausted in a footrace with men,
    how will you compete with horses?
And if you fall headlong in a peaceful land,
    how will you fare in the thickets of the Jordan?
⁶ Even your brothers and your own family
    continue to deal treacherously with you
    as they pursue you while shouting threats.
Do not trust them
    even when they speak gentle words to you.

⁷ I have abandoned my house
    and forsaken my heritage.
I have given the beloved of my heart
    into the hands of her enemies.
⁸ My own people have become to me
    like a lion in the forest;
they have threatened me incessantly,
    and therefore, I despise them.
⁹ Why has my land become a lair for hyenas,
    with birds of prey hovering on every side?
Go forth and gather all the wild beasts
    so that they may assemble for the feast.
¹⁰ My shepherds have ravaged my vineyard
    and trampled my heritage underfoot.
They have made the plot of land that is my delight
    into a desolate wilderness.
¹¹ They have made it into a wasteland,
    the sight of which causes me to mourn.
The entire land has become desolate,
    and no one shows the slightest bit of concern.
¹² Upon all the barren heights of the desert
    those who wreak destruction have arrived.
For the Lord will wield a devouring sword
    from one end of the land to the other;
    no living thing will remain unscathed.
¹³ Men have sown wheat only to reap thorns;
    they have worked to the point of exhaustion
    but have profited nothing.
Their harvests are a source of disappointment
    because of the fierce anger of the Lord.