Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.
A Psalm of David.
141 O Lord, I call upon You; (A)hasten to me!
(B)Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
2 May my prayer be [a]counted as (C)incense before You;
The (D)lifting up of my hands as the (E)evening offering.
3 Set a (F)guard, O Lord, [b]over my mouth;
Keep watch over the (G)door of my lips.
4 (H)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds [c]of wickedness
With men who (I)do iniquity;
And (J)do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 Let the (K)righteous smite me [d]in kindness and reprove me;
It is (L)oil upon the head;
Do not let my head refuse it,
[e]For still my prayer (M)is [f]against their wicked deeds.
6 Their judges are (N)thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one (O)plows and breaks open the earth,
Our (P)bones have been scattered at the (Q)mouth of [g]Sheol.
8 For my (R)eyes are toward You, O [h]God, the Lord;
In You I (S)take refuge; (T)do not [i]leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me from the [j](U)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the (V)snares of those who do iniquity.
10 Let the wicked (W)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by [k](X)safely.
Promise of Restoration
14 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15 “Son of man, your brothers, your [a]relatives, [b]your fellow exiles and the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from the Lord; this land has been given (A)us as a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Though I had removed them far away among the nations and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a (B)sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.”’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “I will (C)gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’ 18 When they come there, they will (D)remove all its (E)detestable things and all its abominations from it. 19 And I will (F)give them one heart, and put a new spirit within [c]them. And I will take the (G)heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a (H)heart of flesh, 20 that they may (I)walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be (J)My people, and I shall be their God. 21 [d]But as for those whose hearts go after their (K)detestable things and abominations, I will (L)bring their conduct down on their heads,” declares the Lord God.
22 Then the cherubim (M)lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and (N)the glory of the God of Israel [e]hovered over them. 23 The (O)glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and (P)stood over the mountain which is east of the city. 24 And the (Q)Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles [f]in Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen [g](R)left me. 25 Then I (S)told the exiles all the things that the Lord had shown me.
25 Therefore, (A)laying aside falsehood, (B)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are (C)members of one another. 26 (D)Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not (E)give the devil [a]an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather (F)he must labor, (G)performing with his own hands what is good, (H)so that he will have something to share with [b]one who has need. 29 Let no [c](I)unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for (J)edification [d]according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 (K)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, [e]by whom you were (L)sealed for the day of redemption. 31 (M)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be (N)put away from you, along with all (O)malice. 32 (P)Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, (Q)just as God in Christ also has forgiven [f]you.
Be Imitators of God
5 (R)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and (S)walk in love, just as Christ also (T)loved [g]you and (U)gave Himself up for us, an (V)offering and a sacrifice to God [h]as a (W)fragrant aroma.
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