Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁹⁷ O, how I love Your Law! It is what I think about all through the day. ⁹⁸ Your Word makes me wiser than those who hate me, for it is always with me. ⁹⁹ I have better understanding than all my teachers because I think about Your Law. ¹⁰⁰ I have a better understanding than those who are old because I obey Your Word. ¹⁰¹ I have kept my feet from every sinful way so that I may keep Your Word. ¹⁰² I have not turned away from Your Law, for You Yourself have taught me. ¹⁰³ How sweet is Your Word to my taste! It is sweeter than honey to my mouth! ¹⁰⁴ I get understanding from Your Law and so I hate every false way.

Wisdom—or the Way to Hell

9 Wisdom has built her house. She has made seven pillars to hold it up. ² She has cooked her food, and has mixed her wine, and she has set her table. ³ She has sent out the young women who work for her. She calls from the highest places of the city, ⁴ “Whoever is easy to fool, let him turn in here!” She says to the one without understanding, ⁵ “Come and eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. ⁶ Turn from your foolish way, and live. Walk in the way of understanding.”

⁷ He who speaks strong words to the man who laughs at the truth brings shame upon himself. He who speaks strong words to a sinful man gets hurt. ⁸ Do not speak strong words to a man who laughs at the truth, or he will hate you. Speak strong words to a wise man, and he will love you. ⁹ Give teaching to a wise man and he will be even wiser. Teach a man who is right and good, and he will grow in learning. ¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To learn about the Holy One is understanding. ¹¹ For by me your days will grow in number, and years will be added to your life. ¹² If you are wise, your wisdom is a help to you. If you laugh at the truth, you alone will suffer for it.

¹³ A foolish woman makes much noise. She is open to sin, and knows nothing. ¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house or on a seat in the high places of the city. ¹⁵ She calls to those who pass by and are making their paths straight, ¹⁶ “Whoever is easy to fool, let him turn in here!” She says to the one without understanding, ¹⁷ “Stolen water is sweet. And bread eaten in secret is pleasing.” ¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead are there, and that the ones who visit her are in the bottom of hell.

Christ Is Our Helper

2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, there is One Who will go between him and the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One Who is right with God. ² He paid for our sins with His own blood. He did not pay for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.

³ We can be sure that we know Him if we obey His teaching. ⁴ Anyone who says, “I know Him,” but does not obey His teaching is a liar. There is no truth in him. ⁵ But whoever obeys His Word has the love of God made perfect in him. This is the way to know if you belong to Christ. ⁶ The one who says he belongs to Christ should live the same kind of life Christ lived.