Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Prayer for God to Guide

Of David.

⁵ “There may be a good person. This person does what is fair and right. ⁶ He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. He does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not commit adultery with his neighbor’s wife. He does not have physical relations with a woman during her time of monthly bleeding. ⁷ He does not mistreat anyone. But he returns what was given as a promise for a loan. He does not rob other people. He gives bread to hungry people. He gives clothes to those who have no clothes. ⁸ He does not lend money to get too much interest or profit. He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He judges fairly between men. ⁹ He lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully. The person who does all these things is good. He will surely live, says the Lord God.

¹⁰ “But this person might have a wild son who murders people. This son may do any of these other bad things. ¹¹ (But the father himself has not done any of these things.) This son eats at the mountain places of worship. He commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife. ¹² He mistreats the poor and needy. He steals things. He refuses to return what was promised for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does things which I hate. ¹³ He lends money for too much interest and profit. Will this son live? No, he will not live! He has done all these hated things. He will surely be put to death. He will be responsible for his own sins.

¹⁴ “But this son might have a son who has seen the sins his father did. But after seeing them, he does not do those things. ¹⁵ He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. He does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not commit adultery with his neighbor’s wife. ¹⁶ He does not mistreat anyone. He does not keep something promised for a loan. He does not steal. But he gives bread to the hungry people. He gives clothes to people without clothes. ¹⁷ He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He does not take too much interest or profit when he lends money. He obeys my laws and lives by my rules. He will not die for his father’s sin. He will surely live. ¹⁸ But his father took other people’s money unfairly. He robbed his brother. He did what was wrong among his people. So he will die for his own sin.

³² We tell you the Good News about the promise God made to our ancestors. ³³ We are their children, and God has made this promise come true for us. God did this by raising Jesus from death. We read about this also in Psalm 2:

³⁴ God raised Jesus from death. He will never go back to the grave and become dust. So God said:

³⁵ But in another place God says:

³⁶ David did God’s will during his lifetime. Then he died and was buried with his fathers. And his body did rot in the grave! ³⁷ But the One God raised from death did not rot in the grave. ^38-39 Brothers, you must understand what we are telling you: You can have forgiveness of your sins through Jesus. The law of Moses could not free you from your sins. But everyone who believes is free from all sins through him. ⁴⁰ Be careful! Don’t let what the prophets said happen to you: