Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁴ But not the wicked!
    They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
⁵ They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
    Sinners will have no place among the godly.
⁶ For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
    but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

¹⁸ There are three things that amaze me—
    no, four things that I don’t understand:
¹⁹ how an eagle glides through the sky,
    how a snake slithers on a rock,
    how a ship navigates the ocean,
    how a man loves a woman.

²⁰ An adulterous woman consumes a man,
    then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”

²¹ There are three things that make the earth tremble—
    no, four it cannot endure:
²² a slave who becomes a king,
    an overbearing fool who prospers,
²³     a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,
    a servant girl who supplants her mistress.

²⁴ There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
²⁵ Ants—they aren’t strong,
    but they store up food all summer.
²⁶ Hyraxes^[a]—they aren’t powerful,
    but they make their homes among the rocks.
²⁷ Locusts—they have no king,
    but they march in formation.
²⁸ Lizards—they are easy to catch,
    but they are found even in kings’ palaces.

²⁹ There are three things that walk with stately stride—
    no, four that strut about:
³⁰ the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
³¹     the strutting rooster,
    the male goat,
    a king as he leads his army.

³² If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil,
    cover your mouth in shame.

³³ As the beating of cream yields butter
    and striking the nose causes bleeding,
    so stirring up anger causes quarrels.

“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,^[b]
    and he will turn Israel^[c] away from ungodliness.
²⁷ And this is my covenant with them,
    that I will take away their sins.”^[d]