Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
This psalm is a song to sing on Sabbath days.
A song to praise God
92 It is good to thank the Lord!
We sing to praise your name, Most High God.
2 We sing in the morning
to thank you for your faithful love.
We sing at night
to say that you are always faithful.
3 We make beautiful music
with lutes, harps and lyres.[a]
4 The things that you do, Lord,
make me very happy.
I sing with joy
because of the things that your hands have made!
12 Righteous people will do well,
like a palm tree that makes new leaves.
They will become strong,
like a tall cedar tree in Lebanon.
13 They are like trees that someone has planted in the Lord's house.
They grow well in the yard of our God's temple.
14 When they are old,
they will still give fruit!
They will always be strong,
with fresh, green leaves.
15 They will tell everyone,
‘The Lord always does what is right.
He is my strong, safe rock.
There is nothing bad in him.’
13 A wise son listens to his father's teaching.
But if you tell a proud person that he is wrong, he will not listen.
2 If you say kind words, you will eat good things.
But wicked people only want to be cruel.
3 Someone who thinks before he speaks will keep his life safe.
But someone who talks too much will destroy himself.
4 A lazy person always wants to have more, but he will not get it.
If a person works hard, he will have more than he needs.
5 Honest people hate anything that is false.
But wicked people do things that bring them shame.
6 When honest people do what is right, it keeps them safe.
But when sinners do evil things, it destroys them.
7 Somebody who has nothing may still pretend to be rich.
Somebody else may pretend to be poor, but he is very rich.
8 A rich person may have to use his money to save his life.
But poor people do not have that problem.
9 Righteous people have joy that shines like a bright light.
But wicked people have a light that will quickly go out.
10 A person who boasts only causes trouble.
But if you accept good advice, it shows that you are wise.
11 If you try to get money quickly, you will not stay rich for long.
But if you are patient, you will become rich little by little.
12 When you do not receive the things that you hope for, it makes you sad.
But when you receive what you have always wanted, you are very happy.
Adam and Christ
12 It was because of one man, Adam, that sin came into the world.[a] Death was the result of Adam's sin. Because of that, death came to all people, because everyone failed to obey God. 13 Before God gave his Law to Moses, people did wrong things. Sin was already there in the world. But at that time, God did not say that people were guilty, because there was no law for them to obey. 14 But still death ruled all people, from the time when Adam lived until the time when Moses lived. Everyone died, even those who did not fail in the same way that Adam failed.
Adam shows us something about God's special Messiah who would come at a future time. 15 But they are not the same. Adam was the man who did not obey what God said to him. Jesus Christ is the man who brought God's free gift to people. Adam was just one person but many people died because of his sin. But God has shown in a greater way that he is very kind to people. Very many people have received God's gift because of one man, Jesus Christ. Christ has been very kind to many people!
16 Also, God's gift is different from the result of Adam's sin. Adam chose not to obey God once and punishment came as a result. But the result of God's gift is greater. People have done many wrong things, not only one wrong thing. But God accepts them as right with him. 17 One man, Adam, did not obey God, and death began to rule everyone as a result. But what the one man, Jesus Christ, did is much greater! Because of him, people can become right with God. They receive that great gift from God because he is very good and very kind. Because of what Jesus Christ has done, those people will rule like kings in their lives.
18 So God's punishment came to all people because of that one wrong thing that Adam did. But the one thing that Christ did makes people free. God accepts all people because of that one good thing that Christ did. Those people receive true life from God. 19 One man did not obey God and, as a result, many people became guilty because of their sins. But, because one man did obey God, many people will become right with God.[b]
20 God gave his Law to Moses to show more clearly that people were doing wrong things. But when people did more and more wrong things, God continued to be kind in more and more ways. 21 We see that sin ruled people's lives and brought death to them. But God's gift makes people right with him, and that is what rules their lives. People receive that gift because God is kind. As a result, they will have life with God for ever, because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.
Sin does not rule us any longer
6 Someone might say, ‘Perhaps we should continue to do wrong things. Then God can be kind to us in more and more ways.’ 2 No! Certainly we should not do that! Sin does not rule our lives any longer. That old life is dead! So it is not right that we should continue to do wrong things.
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.