Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Prayer Not to Sin
A psalm of David.
141 Lord, I ·call [pray] to you. Come quickly to me.
·Listen to me [L Give ear to my voice] when I ·call [pray] to you.
2 Let my prayer be like incense placed before you [Ex. 30:7–8; Rev. 5:8],
and ·my praise [L the lifting of my hands] like the evening sacrifice.
3 Lord, ·help me control my tongue [L set a guard on my mouth];
·help me be careful about what I say [L keep watch on the door of my mouth; Prov. 13:3; 21:23; James 3:1–12].
4 ·Take away my desire to do evil [L Don’t incline my heart to an evil matter]
or to join others in doing wrong.
Don’t let me eat tasty food
with those who do evil.
5 If a ·good [righteous] person ·punished [L hit] me, that would be ·kind [an act of loyalty].
If he corrected me, that would be like perfumed oil on my head.
·I [L My head] shouldn’t refuse it.
But I pray against those who do evil.
6 Let their ·leaders [judges] be thrown down the cliffs.
Then people will ·know that I have spoken correctly [L listen to my words for they are pleasant]:
7 “·The ground [or The rock; L Like it] is plowed and broken up.
In the same way, our bones have been scattered at the ·grave [L mouth of Sheol; C the grave or the underworld].”
8 God, ·I look to you for help [L my eyes are to you].
I ·trust [find refuge] in you, Lord. Don’t let ·me die [L my life pour out].
9 ·Protect [Guard; Keep] me from the traps they set for me
and from the net that evil people have spread.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
but let me pass by safely.
21 “I will ·show [display] my glory [C manifest presence] among the nations. All the nations will see ·my power when I punish [L the judgment I executed and the hand I laid on] them. 22 From that time onward the ·people [L house] of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. 23 The nations will know [L the house of] Israel ·was taken away captive [went into exile] because they sinned and were unfaithful to me. So I ·turned away [L hid my face] from them and handed them over to their enemies until all of them died ·in war [L by the sword]. 24 Because of their uncleanness [C ritual] and their ·sins [transgressions], I ·punished [dealt with] them and ·turned away [hid my face] from them.
25 “So this is what the Lord God says: Now I will ·bring the people of Jacob back from captivity [L restore the fortunes of Jacob], and I will have ·mercy [compassion] on the whole ·nation [L house] of Israel. I will ·not let them dishonor me [L be zealous/jealous for my holy name]. 26 The people will forget their shame and ·how they rejected [their unfaithfulness to] me when they live again in safety on their own land with no one to make them afraid. 27 I will bring the people back from ·other lands [the nations/peoples] and gather them from the lands of their enemies. So I will use my people to ·show many nations that I am holy [L display my holiness in the eyes of many nations.]. 28 Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into ·captivity [exile] among the nations, but then I ·brought them back [gathered them] to their own land, leaving no one behind. 29 I will not ·turn away [L hide my face] from them anymore, because I will put my ·Spirit [or spirit] into the ·people [L house] of Israel, says the Lord God [11:19; 36:26–27; 37:14].”
The New Temple
40 It was the twenty-fifth year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month [C April 19, 573 bc]. It was in the fourteenth year after ·Jerusalem was captured [L the city was struck down]. On that same day ·I felt the power of the Lord [L the hand of the Lord was upon me], and he brought me to Jerusalem. 2 In the visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel and put me down on a very high mountain. On the south of the mountain there were some buildings that looked like a city. 3 He took me closer to the buildings, and ·I saw [L look; T behold] a man ·who looked as if he were made of [whose appearance was like] bronze, standing in the gateway. He had a cord made of linen and a stick in his hand, both for measuring. 4 The man said to me, “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], look with your eyes and hear with your ears. ·Pay attention to [L Set your heart upon] all that I will show you, because that’s why you have been brought here. Tell the ·people [L house] of Israel all that you see.”
How to Use Christian Freedom
23 “·We are allowed to do all things [L All things are lawful/permissible],” but not all things are ·good for us to do [profitable; beneficial]. “·We are allowed to do all things [L All things are lawful/permissible],” but not all things ·help others grow stronger [L build up; C the quotations were probably slogans the Corinthians used; 6:12, 13; 7:1; 8:1, 4]. 24 Do not look out only for yourselves. Look out for the good of others.
25 Eat any meat that is sold in the meat market. Do not ask questions ·about it [L for conscience’s sake]. 26 You may eat it, “because the earth belongs to the Lord, and ·everything in it [its fullness/abundance/bounty; Ps. 24:1; 50:12; 89:11].”
27 Those who are not believers may invite you to eat with them. If you want to go, eat anything that is put before you. Do not ask questions ·about it [L for conscience’s sake]. 28 But if anyone says to you, “That food was offered to idols,” do not eat it. Do not eat it because of that person who told you and ·because eating it might be thought to be wrong [L for conscience’s sake]. 29 I don’t mean ·you think it is wrong [your conscience], but the ·other person might [the concience of the other person]. ·But why, you ask, [or For why] should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I eat the meal with thankfulness, why am I criticized because of something for which I thank God?
31 ·The answer is [or Therefore; In summary], if you eat or drink, or if you do anything, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Never do anything that might hurt others—Jews, Greeks, or God’s church— 33 just as I, also, try to please everybody in every way. I am not trying to do what is ·good [advantageous] for me but what is ·good [advantageous] for most people so they can be saved.
11 ·Follow my example [Imitate me], as I ·follow the example of [imitate] Christ.
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