Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

52 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
² Your ^(B)tongue plots destruction,
    like ^(C)a sharp razor, you ^(D)worker of deceit.
³ You love evil more than good,
    and ^(E)lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
⁴ You love all words that devour,
    O deceitful tongue.
⁵ But God will break you down for ever;
    he will snatch and ^(F)tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from ^(G)the land of the living. Selah
⁶ The righteous shall ^(H)see and fear,
    and shall ^(I)laugh at him, saying,
⁷ “See the man who would not make
    God his refuge,
but ^(J)trusted in the abundance of his riches
    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”^[b]
8 But I am like ^(K)a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    for ever and ever.
⁹ I will thank you for ever,
    because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, ^(L)for it is good,
    in the presence of the ^(M)godly.

^10 (A)They hate him who reproves ^(B)in the gate,
    and they ^(C)abhor him who speaks the truth.
¹¹ Therefore because you ^(D)trample on^[a] the poor
    and you exact taxes of grain from him,
^(E)you have built houses of hewn stone,
    but you shall not dwell in them;
^(F)you have planted pleasant vineyards,
    but you shall not drink their wine.
¹² For I know how many are your transgressions
    and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who ^(G)take a bribe,
    and ^(H)turn aside the needy ^(I)in the gate.
¹³ Therefore he who is prudent will ^(J)keep silent in such a time,
    ^(K)for it is an evil time.
^14 (L)Seek good, and not evil,
    that you may live;
and so the Lord, ^(M)the God of hosts, will be with you,
    as you have said.
^15 (N)Hate evil, and love good,
    and establish justice ^(O)in the gate;
^(P)it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

“In all the squares ^(R)there shall be wailing,
    and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’
They shall call the farmers to mourning
    and ^(S)to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,
¹⁷ and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,
    for ^(T)I will pass through your midst,”
says the Lord.

^(J)“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”;

^(K)“You are a priest for ever,
    after the order of Melchizedek.”