Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
58 To the Overseer. -- `Destroy not.' -- A secret treasure, by David. Is it true, O dumb one, righteously ye speak? Uprightly ye judge, O sons of men?
2 Even in heart ye work iniquities, In the land the violence of your hands ye ponder.
3 The wicked have been estranged from the womb, They have erred from the belly, speaking lies.
4 Their poison [is] as poison of a serpent, As a deaf asp shutting its ear,
5 Which hearkeneth not to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of charms most skilful.
6 O God, break their teeth in their mouth, The jaw-teeth of young lions break down, O Jehovah.
7 They are melted as waters, They go up and down for themselves, His arrow proceedeth as they cut themselves off.
8 As a snail that melteth he goeth on, [As] an untimely birth of a woman, They have not seen the sun.
9 Before your pots discern the bramble, As well the raw as the heated He whirleth away.
10 The righteous rejoiceth that he hath seen vengeance, His steps he washeth in the blood of the wicked.
11 And man saith: `Surely fruit [is] for the righteous: Surely there is a God judging in the earth!'
23 How sayest thou, `I have not been defiled, After the Baalim I have not gone?' See thy way in a valley, know what thou hast done, A swift dromedary winding her ways,
24 A wild ass accustomed to a wilderness, In the desire of her soul she hath swallowed up wind, Her meeting -- who doth turn her back? None seeking her do weary themselves, In her month they find her.
25 Withhold thy foot from being unshod, And thy throat from thirst, And thou sayest, `It is incurable, No, for I have loved strangers, and after them I go.'
26 As the shame of a thief when he is found, So put to shame have been the house of Israel, They, their kings, their heads, And their priests, and their prophets,
27 Saying to wood, `My father [art] thou!' And to a stone, `Thou hast brought me forth,' For they turned unto me the back and not the face, And in the time of their vexation, They say, `Arise Thou, and save us.'
28 And where [are] thy gods, that thou hast made to thyself? Let them arise, if they may save thee, In the time of thy vexation, For -- the number of thy cities have been thy gods, O Judah,
29 Why do ye strive with Me? All of you have transgressed against Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.
30 In vain I have smitten your sons, Instruction they have not accepted, Devoured hath your sword your prophets, As a destroying lion.
31 O generation, see ye the word of Jehovah: A wilderness have I been to Israel? A land of thick darkness? Wherefore have My people said, `We mourned, We come not in again unto Thee.'
32 Doth a virgin forget her ornaments? A bride her bands? And My people have forgotten Me days without number.
33 What -- dost thou make pleasing thy ways to seek love? Therefore even the wicked thou hast taught thy ways.
34 Also in thy skirts hath been found the blood of innocent needy souls, Not by digging have I found them, but upon all these.
35 And thou sayest, `Because I have been innocent, Surely turned back hath His anger from me?' Lo, I have been judged with thee, Because of thy saying, `I have not sinned.'
36 What? thou art very vile to repeat thy way, Even of Egypt thou art ashamed, As thou hast been ashamed of Asshur,
37 Also from this thou goest out, And thy hands on thy head, For Jehovah hath kicked at thy confidences, And thou dost not give prosperity to them!
7 Be mindful of those leading you, who did speak to you the word of God, whose faith -- considering the issue of the behaviour -- be imitating,
8 Jesus Christ yesterday and to-day the same, and to the ages;
9 with teachings manifold and strange be not carried about, for [it is] good that by grace the heart be confirmed, not with meats, in which they who were occupied were not profited;
10 we have an altar, of which to eat they have no authority who the tabernacle are serving,
11 for of those beasts whose blood is brought for sin into the holy places through the chief priest -- of these the bodies are burned without the camp.
12 Wherefore, also Jesus -- that he might sanctify through [his] own blood the people -- without the gate did suffer;
13 now, then, may we go forth unto him without the camp, his reproach bearing;
14 for we have not here an abiding city, but the coming one we seek;
15 through him, then, we may offer up a sacrifice of praise always to God, that is, the fruit of lips, giving thanks to His name;
16 and of doing good, and of fellowship, be not forgetful, for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased.
17 Be obedient to those leading you, and be subject, for these do watch for your souls, as about to give account, that with joy they may do this, and not sighing, for this [is] unprofitable to you.
18 Pray for us, for we trust that we have a good conscience, in all things willing to behave well,
19 and more abundantly do I call upon [you] to do this, that more quickly I may be restored to you.
20 And the God of the peace, who did bring up out of the dead the great shepherd of the sheep -- in the blood of an age-during covenant -- our Lord Jesus,
21 make you perfect in every good work to do His will, doing in you that which is well-pleasing before Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom [is] the glory -- to the ages of the ages! Amen.