Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
(A special psalm by David.)
The Joy of Forgiveness
1 (A) Our Lord, you bless everyone
whose sins you forgive
and wipe away.
2 You bless them by saying,
“You told me your sins,
without trying to hide them,
and now I forgive you.”
3 Before I confessed my sins,
my bones felt limp,
and I groaned all day long.
4 Night and day your hand
weighed heavily on me,
and my strength was gone
as in the summer heat.
5 So I confessed my sins
and told them all to you.
I said, “I'll tell the Lord
each one of my sins.”
Then you forgave me
and took away my guilt.
6 We worship you, Lord,
and we should always pray
whenever we find out
that we have sinned.[a]
Then we won't be swept away
by a raging flood.
7 You are my hiding place!
You protect me from trouble,
and you put songs in my heart
because you have saved me.
8 The Lord is disgusted
by gifts from the wicked,
but it makes him happy
when his people pray.
9 The Lord is disgusted
with all who do wrong,
but he loves everyone
who does right.
10 If you turn from the right way,
you will be punished;
if you refuse correction,
you will die.
11 If the Lord can see everything
in the world of the dead,
he can see in our hearts.
24 All who are wise follow a road
that leads upward to life
and away from death.
25 The Lord destroys the homes
of those who are proud,
but he protects the property
of widows.
26 The Lord hates evil thoughts,
but kind words please him.
27 Being greedy causes trouble
for your family,
but you protect yourself
by refusing bribes.
28 Good people think
before they answer,
but the wicked speak evil
without ever thinking.
29 The Lord never even hears
the prayers of the wicked,
but he answers the prayers
of all who obey him.
30 A friendly smile
makes you happy,
and good news
makes you feel strong.
31 Healthy correction is good,
and if you accept it,
you will be wise.
32 You hurt only yourself
by rejecting instruction,
but it makes good sense
to accept it.
33 Showing respect to the Lord
will make you wise,
and being humble
will bring honor to you.
1 (A) From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.
To God's church in Corinth and to all of God's people in Achaia.
2 I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
Paul Gives Thanks
3 Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. 4 He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble. 5 We share in the terrible sufferings of Christ, but also in the wonderful comfort he gives. 6 We suffer in the hope that you will be comforted and saved. And because we are comforted, you will also be comforted, as you patiently endure suffering like ours. 7 You never disappoint us. You suffered as much as we did, and we know that you will be comforted as we were.
8 (B) My friends, I want you to know what a hard time we had in Asia. Our sufferings were so horrible and so unbearable that death seemed certain. 9 In fact, we felt sure we were going to die. But this made us stop trusting in ourselves and start trusting God, who raises the dead to life. 10 God saved us from the threat of death,[a] and we are sure that he will do it again and again. 11 Please help us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks for the blessings we receive in answer to all these prayers.
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