Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

God—Our Helper

12 Help, Lord! For God-like men are here no more. The faithful can no longer be seen among the sons of men. ² They lie to each other. Their lips speak with sweet-sounding words that are not true. ³ May the Lord cut off all lips of false respect, and the tongue that speaks of great things. ⁴ They say, “We can win with our tongues. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?”

⁵ “Because of the suffering of the weak, and because of the cries of the poor, I will now rise up,” says the Lord. “I will keep him safe as he has wanted to be.”

⁶ The words of the Lord are pure words. They are like silver that has been made pure seven times in a stove of earth. ⁷ O Lord, You will keep us. You will keep us safe forever from the people of this day. ⁸ The sinful walk on every side when bad actions are held in honor among the sons of men.

¹² There is a way which looks right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

¹³ Even while laughing the heart may be in pain, and the end of joy may be sorrow.

¹⁴ The man who has gone back into sin will get the fruit of his ways, and a good man will get the fruit of what he does.

¹⁵ The one who is easy to fool believes everything, but the wise man looks where he goes.

¹⁶ A wise man fears God and turns away from what is sinful, but a fool is full of pride and is not careful.

¹⁷ He who has a quick temper acts in a foolish way, and a man who makes sinful plans is hated.

¹⁸ Those who are easy to fool are foolish, but the wise have much learning.

¹⁹ Sinful men will bow in front of the good, and at the gates of those who are right with God.

²⁰ The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but the rich man has many friends.

²¹ He who hates his neighbor sins, but happy is he who shows loving-favor to the poor.

²² Do not those who make sinful plans go the wrong way? Kindness and truth are for those who plan good.

²³ Some good comes from all work. Nothing but talk leads only to being poor.

²⁴ What the wise receive is their riches, but fools are known by their foolish ways.

²⁵ A faithful man who tells what he knows saves lives, but he who tells lies hurts others.

²⁶ There is strong trust in the fear of the Lord, and His children will have a safe place.

²⁷ The fear of the Lord is a well of life. Its waters keep a man from death.

²⁸ The shining-greatness of a king is in many people, but without people a prince has nothing.

²⁹ He who is slow to get angry has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper makes his foolish way look right.

³⁰ A heart that has peace is life to the body, but wrong desires are like the wasting away of the bones.

³¹ He who makes it hard for the poor brings shame to his Maker, but he who shows loving-favor to those in need honors Him.

Peter and John Are Put in Prison

4 The religious leaders and the leader of the house of God and some of the religious group who believe no one will be raised from the dead came to Peter and John while they were talking to the people. ² They were angry because Peter and John had been teaching the people and preaching that Jesus had been raised from the dead. ³ So they took them and put them in prison until the next day because it was evening. ⁴ But many of those who heard what Peter and John said put their trust in Christ. The group of followers was now about 5,000 men.

Peter Speaks to the Religious Leaders’ Court

⁵ The next day the leaders of the court and the leaders of the people and the teachers of the Law came together in Jerusalem. ⁶ Annas the head religious leader was there. Caiaphas and John and Alexander were there also and all who were in the family of the head religious leader. ⁷ They put the missionaries in front of them and asked, “By what power or in whose name have you done this?”

⁸ Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said, “You who are leaders of the people, ⁹ are you asking us today about the good work we did to a man who needed help? Are you asking how he was healed? ¹⁰ You and all the Jews must know that it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you nailed to a cross and God raised from the dead. It is through Him that this man stands in front of you well and strong. ¹¹ Christ is the Stone that was put aside by you workmen. But He has become the most important Stone in the building. ^{(A) 12} There is no way to be saved from the punishment of sin through anyone else. For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we can be saved.”