Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Folly and Wickedness of Men.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
14 The fool has (A)said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed abominable [a]deeds;
There is (B)no one who does good.
2 The Lord has (C)looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there are any who [b](D)understand,
Who (E)seek after God.
3 They have all (F)turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is (G)no one who does good, not even one.
13 “Behold, he (A)goes up like clouds,
And his (B)chariots like the whirlwind;
His horses are (C)swifter than eagles.
Woe to us, for (D)we are ruined!”
14 Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem,
That you may be saved.
How long will your (E)wicked thoughts
Lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares from (F)Dan,
And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.
16 “Report it to the nations, now!
Proclaim over Jerusalem,
‘Besiegers come from a (G)far country,
And (H)lift their voices against the cities of Judah.
17 ‘Like watchmen of a field they are (I)against her round about,
Because she has (J)rebelled against Me,’ declares the Lord.
18 “Your (K)ways and your deeds
Have [a]brought these things to you.
This is your evil. How (L)bitter!
How it has touched your heart!”
Lament over Judah’s Devastation
19 (M)My [b]soul, my [c]soul! I am in anguish! [d]Oh, my heart!
My (N)heart is pounding in me;
I cannot be silent,
Because [e]you have heard, O my soul,
The (O)sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20 (P)Disaster on disaster is proclaimed,
For the (Q)whole land is devastated;
Suddenly my (R)tents are devastated,
My curtains in an instant.
21 How long must I see the standard
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
29 At the sound of the horseman and bowman (A)every city flees;
They (B)go into the thickets and climb among the rocks;
(C)Every city is forsaken,
And no man dwells in them.
30 And you, O desolate one, (D)what will you do?
Although you dress in scarlet,
Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold,
Although you (E)enlarge your eyes with paint,
In vain you make yourself beautiful.
Your [a](F)lovers despise you;
They seek your life.
31 For I heard a [b]cry as of a woman in labor,
The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child,
The [c]cry of the daughter of Zion (G)gasping for breath,
(H)Stretching out her [d]hands, saying,
“Ah, woe is me, for [e]I faint before murderers.”
11 “(A)I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd (B)lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a (C)shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 (D)I am the good shepherd, and (E)I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as (F)the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and (G)I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have (H)other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become (I)one flock with (J)one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I (K)lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 (L)No one has taken it away from Me, but I (M)lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. (N)This commandment I received from My Father.”
19 (O)A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He (P)has a demon and (Q)is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one (R)demon-possessed. (S)A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”
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