Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

50 ⁽⁰⁾ A psalm of Asaf:

⁽¹⁾ The Mighty One, God, Adonai, is speaking,
summoning the world from east to west.
² Out of Tziyon, the perfection of beauty,
God is shining forth.
³ Our God is coming and not staying silent.
With a fire devouring ahead of him
and a great storm raging around him,
⁴ he calls to the heavens above and to earth,
in order to judge his people.
⁵ “Gather to me my faithful,
those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

⁶ The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for God himself is judge. (Selah)

⁷ “Listen, my people, I am speaking:
Isra’el, I am testifying against you,
I, God, your God.
⁸ I am not rebuking you for your sacrifices;
your burnt offerings are always before me.

²³ “Whoever offers thanksgiving
as his sacrifice honors me;
and to him who goes the right way
I will show the salvation of God.”

² “Hear, heaven! Listen, earth!
For Adonai is speaking.

“I raised and brought up children,
but they rebelled against me.
³ An ox knows its owner
and a donkey its master’s stall,
but Isra’el does not know,
my people do not reflect.

⁴ “Oh, sinful nation,
a people weighed down by iniquity,
descendants of evildoers,
immoral children!
They have abandoned Adonai,
spurned the Holy One of Isra’el,
turned their backs on him!

⁵ “Where should I strike you next,
as you persist in rebelling?
The whole head is sick,
the whole heart diseased.
⁶ From the sole of the foot to the head
there is nothing healthy,
only wounds, bruises and festering sores
that haven’t been dressed or bandaged
or softened up with oil.

⁷ “Your land is desolate,
your cities are burned to the ground;
foreigners devour your land in your presence;
it’s as desolate as if overwhelmed by floods.
⁸ The daughter of Tziyon is left
like a shack in a vineyard,
like a shed in a cucumber field,
like a city under siege.”

⁹ If Adonai-Tzva’ot had not left us
a tiny, tiny remnant,
we would have become like S’dom,
we would have resembled ‘Amora.

²¹ How the faithful city has become a whore!
Once she was filled with justice,
righteousness lodged in her;
but now murderers!
²² Your silver is no longer pure,
your wine is watered down.
²³ Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves.
They all love bribes and run after gifts.
They give no justice to orphans,
the widow’s complaint doesn’t catch their attention.