Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Praise God Who Helps the Weak
146 Praise the Lord!
My whole being, praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes
or other people, who cannot save you.
4 When people die, they are buried.
Then all of their plans come to an end.
5 Happy are those who are helped by the God of Jacob.
Their hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in it.
He remains loyal forever.
7 He does what is fair for those who have been wronged.
He gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.
8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up people who are in trouble.
The Lord loves those who do right.
9 The Lord protects the foreigners.
He defends the orphans and widows,
but he blocks the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will be King forever.
Jerusalem, your God is everlasting.
Praise the Lord!
2 The rich and the poor are alike
in that the Lord made them all.
3 The wise see danger ahead and avoid it,
but fools keep going and get into trouble.
4 Respecting the Lord and not being proud
will bring you wealth, honor, and life.
5 Evil people’s lives are like paths covered with thorns and traps.
People who guard themselves don’t have such problems.
6 Train children to live the right way,
and when they are old, they will not stray from it.
7 The rich rule over the poor,
and borrowers are servants to lenders.
8 Those who plan evil will receive trouble.
Their cruel anger will come to an end.
9 Generous people will be blessed,
because they share their food with the poor.
10 Get rid of the one who makes fun of wisdom.
Then fighting, quarrels, and insults will stop.
11 Whoever loves pure thoughts and kind words
will have even the king as a friend.
12 The Lord guards knowledge,
but he destroys false words.
13 The lazy person says, “There’s a lion outside!
I might get killed out in the street!”
14 The words of an unfaithful wife are like a deep trap.
Those who make the Lord angry will get caught by them.
15 Every child is full of foolishness,
but punishment can get rid of it.
16 Whoever gets rich by mistreating the poor,
and gives presents to the wealthy, will become poor.
8 I am not commanding you to give. But I want to see if your love is true by comparing you with others that really want to help. 9 You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that Christ was rich, but for you he became poor so that by his becoming poor you might become rich.
10 This is what I think you should do: Last year you were the first to want to give, and you were the first who gave. 11 So now finish the work you started. Then your “doing” will be equal to your “wanting to do.” Give from what you have. 12 If you want to give, your gift will be accepted. It will be judged by what you have, not by what you do not have. 13 We do not want you to have troubles while other people are at ease, but we want everything to be equal. 14 At this time you have plenty. What you have can help others who are in need. Then later, when they have plenty, they can help you when you are in need, and all will be equal. 15 As it is written in the Scriptures, “The person who gathered more did not have too much, nor did the person who gathered less have too little.”[a]
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.