Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is no one that does good.

² The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God.

³ They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is no one that does good, no, not one.

⁴ ¶ The workers of iniquity certainly know this; those who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD.

⁵ There they were in great fear: for God is with the nation of the righteous.

⁶ Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor because the LORD is his hope.

⁷ Oh that the saving health of Israel were come out of Zion! When the LORD turns back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

¹³ Behold, he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us, for we are given over to be spoiled!

¹⁴ O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness that thou may be saved. How long shalt thou entertain the thoughts of thy iniquity within thee?

¹⁵ For the voice is heard from him who brings the news from Dan and from him who causes to hear the affliction from Mount Ephraim.

¹⁶ Say ye of the Gentiles; behold, cause it to be heard upon Jerusalem, Watchmen come from a far country and shall give out their voice upon the cities of Judah.

¹⁷ As the watchmen of the heritages, they were upon her round about because she has been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

¹⁸ Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness because it is bitter, because it reaches unto thine heart.

¹⁹ ¶ My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the shofar, the alarm of war.

²⁰ Destruction upon destruction is cried, for the whole land is destroyed; suddenly are my tents destroyed, and my curtains in a moment.

²¹ How long shall I see the banner and hear the voice of the shofar?

²⁹ The whole city fled from the thunder of the horsemen and bowmen; they went into the thickets of the forests and climbed up upon the rocks; every city was forsaken, and not a man dwells therein.

³⁰ And thou who art destroyed, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothe thyself with crimson, though thou deck thee with ornaments of gold, though thou paint thy eyes with antimony, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee; they will seek thy life.

³¹ For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her that brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewails herself, that spreads her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is faint because of the murderers.

¹¹ I AM the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.

¹² But the hireling, who is not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches them and scatters the sheep.

¹³ The hireling flees because he is a hireling, and the sheep do not belong to him.

¹⁴ I AM the good shepherd, and know my sheep and am known of mine.

¹⁵ As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my soul for the sheep.

¹⁶ And I have other sheep which are not of this fold; it is expedient that I bring them also, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.

¹⁷ Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my soul that I might take it again.

¹⁸ No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment I have received of my Father.

¹⁹ ¶ There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these words.

²⁰ And many of them said, He has a demon and is beside himself; why do ye hear him?

²¹ Others said, These are not the words of him that has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?