Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
To the Overcomer: A Psalm for the sons of Korah.
1 ¶ Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
2 Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; and the meditation of my heart intelligence.
4 I will incline mine ear to a parable; I will declare my enigma upon the harp.
5 Why should I fear in the days of adversity when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
6 ¶ Those that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
7 none of them can by any means ransom his brother, nor give God an atonement for him;
8 (for the redemption of their soul is of great price, and they shall never pay it)
9 that he should still live for ever and not see corruption.
10 For he sees that all the wise men die, likewise the fool and the ignorant perish and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inward thought is that their houses are eternal and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man will not abide forever in honour; he is like the beasts that are cut off.
24 ¶ Do not be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them.
2 For their heart studies robbery, and their lips speak evil.
3 ¶ Through wisdom the house shall be built, and with intelligence it shall be established:
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and beautiful riches.
5 The wise man is strong; and the man of understanding is a mighty man of valour.
6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war, and in the multitude of counsellors there is saving health.
7 ¶ Wisdom, is too high for a fool; he shall not open his mouth in the gate.
8 He that devises to do evil shall be called a man of evil designs.
9 The thought of the foolish is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.
10 ¶ If thou art slack in the day of tribulation, thy strength shall be reduced.
11 ¶ If thou forbear to deliver those that are drawn unto death and those that are ready to be slain,
12 if thou should say, Behold, we knew it not; shall not he that weighs the hearts understand it? and he that keeps thy soul, does he not know it? and shall he not render to every man according to his works?
17 ¶ This I say, therefore, and require in the Lord that from now on ye not walk as the other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their own senses,
18 having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart,
19 who, after losing all sense of feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But ye have not so learned of the Christ,
21 if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus,
22 that ye put off everything concerning the old way of life, that is, the old man who corrupts himself according to deceitful desires,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your understanding
24 and that ye put on the new man, which is created in conformity to God in righteousness and in the holiness of the truth.
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