Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
It Is Better to Confess Sin
A maskil of David.
32 Happy is the person
whose sins are forgiven,
whose wrongs are pardoned.
2 Happy is the person
whom the Lord does not consider guilty
and in whom there is nothing false.
3 When I kept things to myself,
I felt weak deep inside me.
I moaned all day long.
4 Day and night you punished me.
My strength was gone as in the summer heat. Selah
5 Then I confessed my sins to you
and didn’t hide my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my sins to the Lord,”
and you forgave my guilt. Selah
6 For this reason, all who obey you
should pray to you while they still can.
When troubles rise like a flood,
they will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place.
You protect me from my troubles
and fill me with songs of salvation. Selah
8 The Lord hates the sacrifice that the wicked offer,
but he likes the prayers of honest people.
9 The Lord hates what evil people do,
but he loves those who do what is right.
10 The person who quits doing what is right will be punished,
and the one who hates to be corrected will die.
11 The Lord knows what is happening in the world of the dead,
so he surely knows the thoughts of the living.
24 Wise people’s lives get better and better.
They avoid whatever would cause their death.
25 The Lord will tear down the proud person’s house,
but he will protect the widow’s property.
26 The Lord hates evil thoughts
but is pleased with kind words.
27 Greedy people bring trouble to their families,
but the person who can’t be paid to do wrong will live.
28 Good people think before they answer,
but the wicked simply pour out evil.
29 The Lord does not listen to the wicked,
but he hears the prayers of those who do right.
30 Good news makes you feel better.
Your happiness will show in your eyes.
31 If you listen to correction to improve your life,
you will live among the wise.
32 Those who refuse correction hate themselves,
but those who accept correction gain understanding.
33 Respect for the Lord will teach you wisdom.
If you want to be honored, you must be humble.
1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted. Also from Timothy our brother in Christ.
To the church of God in Corinth, and to all of God’s people everywhere in Southern Greece:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul Gives Thanks to God
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the Father who is full of mercy and all comfort. 4 He comforts us every time we have trouble, so when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us. 5 We share in the many sufferings of Christ. In the same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ. 6 If we have troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation, and if we have comfort, you also have comfort. This helps you to accept patiently the same sufferings we have. 7 Our hope for you is strong, knowing that you share in our sufferings and also in the comfort we receive.
8 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the trouble we suffered in Asia. We had great burdens there that were beyond our own strength. We even gave up hope of living. 9 Truly, in our own hearts we believed we would die. But this happened so we would not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from the dead. 10 God saved us from these great dangers of death, and he will continue to save us. We have put our hope in him, and he will save us again. 11 And you can help us with your prayers. Then many people will give thanks for us—that God blessed us because of their many prayers.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.