Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful.

² But his delight is in the Law of the LORD. And on His Law does he meditate day and night.

³ For he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters, that will bring forth her fruits in due season; whose leaf shall not fade. So, whatever he shall do shall prosper.

⁴ The wicked are not so; but are as the chaff which the wind drives away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the LORD knows the way of the righteous. And the way of the wicked shall perish.

⁵ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

⁶ “Speak to the children of Israel. When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit— and transgress against the LORD — when that person shall trespass,

⁷ “then they shall confess their sin which they have done and shall restore the damage with principal plus a fifth part more. And he shall give it to him against whom he has trespassed.

⁸ “But if the man has no kinsman to whom he should restore the damage, the damage shall be restored to the LORD for the Priest’s use (in addition to the Ram of the Atonement) by which he shall make atonement for him.

⁹ “And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring to the Priest, shall be his.

¹⁰ “And every man’s hallowed things shall be his. Whatever any man gives the Priest, it shall be his.”

⁵ For this reason I left you in Crete, so that you would continue to organize the things which remain, and would ordain elders in every city, as I directed you

⁶ (if any are blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children who are not accused of wastefulness or disobedient).

⁷ For an overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not willful, not angry, not given to wine, not a brawler, not greedy;

⁸ but one who loves strangers and goodness, is wise, righteous, holy, temperate,

⁹ holding fast the faithful Word according to doctrine, so that he may also be able to encourage with sound doctrine and convince those who speak against it.

¹⁰ For there are many disobedient and empty talkers, and deceivers of minds (mainly those of the circumcision)

¹¹ whose mouths must be stopped; who subvert whole houses, teaching things they ought not for the sake of dishonest gain.

¹² One of them (one of their own Prophets) said, “The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

¹³ This witness is true! Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith

¹⁴ and not holding onto Jewish fables and commandments of men which turn away from the Truth.

¹⁵ To the pure, are all things pure. But, to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. But even their minds and consciences are defiled.

¹⁶ They profess that they know God, but by works they deny Him and are abominable and disobedient and worthless as to every good work.