Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the chief Musician. Upon the Gittith. [A Psalm] of Asaph.

81 Sing ye joyously unto God our strength, shout aloud unto the God of Jacob;

¹⁰ I am Jehovah thy God, that brought thee up out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

¹¹ But my people hearkened not to my voice, and Israel would none of me.

¹² So I gave them up unto their own hearts' stubbornness: they walked after their own counsels.

¹³ Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, that Israel had walked in my ways!

¹⁴ I would soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

¹⁵ The haters of Jehovah would have come cringing unto him; but their time would have been for ever.

¹⁶ And he would have fed them with the finest of wheat; yea, with honey out of the rock would I have satisfied thee.

11 The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

² Hear ye the words of this covenant; and speak ye unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

³ And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant

⁴ which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Hearken unto my voice and do them, according to all that I command you; so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:

⁵ that I may perform the oath that I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. And I answered and said, Amen, Jehovah!

⁶ And Jehovah said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear the words of this covenant, and do them.

⁷ For I earnestly protested unto your fathers, in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Hearken unto my voice.

⁸ But they have not hearkened, nor inclined their ear, but have walked every one in the stubbornness of their evil heart; and I have brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded [them] to do, and they have not done.

⁹ And Jehovah said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

¹⁰ They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words; and they have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

¹¹ Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will bring evil upon them, from which they shall not be able to escape; and they will cry unto me, and I will not hearken unto them.

¹² Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry unto the gods unto whom they have burned incense; but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

¹³ For [as] the number of thy cities, are thy gods, O Judah; and [as] the number of the streets of Jerusalem, have ye set up altars to the Shame, altars to burn incense unto Baal.

¹⁴ And thou, pray not for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them; for I will not hear in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.

¹⁵ What hath my beloved to do in my house, seeing that the more part practise their evil devices, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? When thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

¹⁶ Jehovah had called thy name, A green olive-tree, fair, of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and its branches are broken.

¹⁷ For Jehovah of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done for themselves, to provoke me to anger in burning incense unto Baal.

⁸ Finally, [be] all of one mind, sympathising, full of brotherly love, tender hearted, humble minded;

⁹ not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but on the contrary, blessing [others], because ye have been called to this, that ye should inherit blessing.

¹⁰ For he that will love life and see good days, let him cause his tongue to cease from evil and his lips that they speak no guile.

¹¹ And let him avoid evil, and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it;

¹² because [the] eyes of [the] Lord [are] on [the] righteous, and his ears towards their supplications; but [the] face of [the] Lord [is] against them that do evil.