Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 25
A song of David.
1 ALWAYS I will lift up my soul to You, Eternal One,
2 BECAUSE You are my God and I put my trust in You.
Do not let me be humiliated.
Do not let my enemies celebrate at my expense.
3 CERTAINLY none of the people who rely on You will be shamed,
but those who are unfaithful, who intentionally deceive,
they are the ones who will be disgraced.
4 DEMONSTRATE Your ways, O Eternal One.
Teach me to understand so I can follow.
5 EASE me down the path of Your truth.
FEED me Your word
because You are the True God who has saved me.
I wait all day long, hoping, trusting in You.
6 GRACIOUS Eternal One, remember Your compassion; rekindle Your concern and love,
which have always been part of Your actions toward those who are Yours.
7 Do not HOLD against me the sins I committed when I was young;
instead, deal with me according to Your mercy and love.
Then Your goodness may be demonstrated in all the world, Eternal One.
8 IMMENSELY good and honorable is the Eternal;
that’s why He teaches sinners the way.
9 With JUSTICE, He directs the humble in all that is right,
and He shows them His way.
17 The word of the Eternal came to me yet again.
Eternal One: 18 Son of man, tremble as you eat your meals. Shake with anxiousness as you drink your water. 19 Tell the people of the land what the Eternal Lord says regarding the people living in Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their meals in fear and drink their water with anxiety, for their land will be pillaged of everything in it because of their own violent acts. 20 Every inhabited town and city will be destroyed, and the land will be deserted. Then you will know I am the Eternal One.
21 The word of the Eternal came to me with another message.
Eternal One: 22 Son of man, what is this saying the people keep repeating in the land of Israel: “The days pass by, and the prophecies never come true”? 23 Tell the people of Israel the Eternal Lord says that this saying will not be quoted for long. I am going to make sure it is never said again in Israel. The time is near when every prophecy will be fulfilled. 24 There won’t be any more false visions or favorable predictions in Israel. 25 I, the Eternal One, will speak, and what I speak will be fulfilled without delay. You rebellious crowd! I will fulfill whatever I say during your lifetime.
So said the Eternal Lord.
26 The word of the Eternal came to me.
Eternal One: 27 Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, “The visions of the prophet are for the distant future; He speaks of events a long way off.” 28 Therefore, tell the people of Israel the Eternal Lord most certainly says that nothing I’ve predicted will wait any longer. Whatever I speak will be fulfilled without delay.
11 My brothers and sisters, do not assault each other with criticism. If you decide your job is to accuse and judge another believer, then you are a self-appointed critic and judge of the law; if so, then you are no longer a doer of the law and subject to its rule; you stand over it as a judge. 12 Know this—there is One who stands supreme as Judge and Lawgiver. He alone is able to save and to destroy, so who are you to step in and try to judge another?
13 Listen carefully, those of you who make your plans and say, “We are traveling to this city in the next few days. We’ll stay there for one year while our business explodes and revenue is up.” 14 The reality is you have no idea where your life will take you tomorrow. You are like a mist that appears one moment and then vanishes another. 15 It would be best to say, “If it is the Lord’s will and we live long enough, we hope to do this project or pursue that dream.” 16 But your current speech indicates an arrogance that does not acknowledge the One who controls the universe, and this kind of big talking is the epitome of evil.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.