Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹ For the music director, of David.
The fool said in his heart:
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt; their deeds are vile;
    there is no one who does good.^[a]
2 Adonai looked down from heaven on the children of men,
to see if there are any who understand,
    who seek after God.
³ They all turned aside, became corrupt.
There is no one who does good
—not even one.
⁴ “Will evildoers never understand—
those who consume My people as they eat bread—
and never call on Adonai?”
⁵ There they are, in great dread.
For God is with the righteous generation.
⁶ You would frustrate the plan of the lowly.
Surely Adonai is his refuge!
⁷ O may He give Israel’s salvation out of Zion!
When Adonai restores His captive people,
Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad!

²⁰ Lift up your eyes and see
        those coming from the north.
    Where is the flock given to you,
        Your beautiful sheep?
²¹ What will you say, when He sets up the allies
    you cultivated for yourself, over you as head?
    Will not labor pains seize you,
        like a woman in travail?
²² Suppose you say in your heart,
    “Why did these things happen to me?”
    Because of your great iniquity,
        your skirts are uncovered
        and your heels suffer violence.
²³ Can the Ethiopian change his skin?
        Or the leopard his spots?
    So, could you do good,
        that are accustomed to doing evil?
²⁴ “Therefore I will scatter them
    like drifting straw in the desert wind.
²⁵ This is your lot, the portion
        measured for you from Me.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
    “For you have forgotten Me
        and trusted in falsehood.
²⁶ Therefore I will also uncover your skirts over your face,
    expose your shame.
²⁷ Your adulteries, your lustful neighings,
    the lewdness of your prostitution—
    on the hills in the field
        I have seen your loathsome acts.
    Oy you, Jerusalem! You are unclean!
        How much longer?”