Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prayer for Help

5 Hear my words, O Lord. Think about my crying. ² Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God. For I pray to you. ³ In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my prayers before You and will look up.

⁴ You are not a God Who is pleased with what is bad. The sinful cannot be with You. ⁵ The proud cannot stand before You. You hate all who do wrong. ⁶ You destroy those who tell lies. The Lord hates liars and men who kill other people.

⁷ But as for me, by Your great loving-kindness, I will come into Your house. At Your holy house I will put my face to the ground before You in love and fear. ⁸ O Lord, lead me in what is right and good, because of the ones who hate me. Make Your way straight in front of me.

⁹ For in their talk there is no truth. Their hearts destroy. Their mouths are like an open grave. With their tongues, they say sweet-sounding words that are not true. ¹⁰ Hold them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own plans. Throw them out because of their many sins. For they have fought against You. ¹¹ But let all who put their trust in You be glad. Let them sing with joy forever. You make a covering for them, that all who love Your name may be glad in You. ¹² For You will make those happy who do what is right, O Lord. You will cover them all around with Your favor.

²¹ The wise in heart will be called understanding. And to speak in a pleasing way helps people know what you say is right.

²² Understanding is a well of life to him who has it, but to speak strong words to fools is of no use.

²³ The heart of the wise has power over his mouth and adds learning to his lips.

²⁴ Pleasing words are like honey. They are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

²⁵ There is a way that looks right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

²⁶ A workman’s hunger works for him. The need of his mouth pushes him on.

²⁷ A man of no worth looks for wrong-doing. His words are like burning fire.

²⁸ A bad man spreads trouble. One who hurts people with bad talk separates good friends.

²⁹ A man who hurts people tempts his neighbor to do the same, and leads him in a way that is not good.

³⁰ He who winks his eyes plans to do bad things. He who closes his lips allows sinful things to happen.

³¹ Hair that is turning white is like a crown of honor. It is found in the way of being right with God.

³² He who is slow to anger is better than the powerful. And he who rules his spirit is better than he who takes a city.

³³ Man decides by throwing an object into the lap, but it is the Lord only who decides.

Jesus Speaks Sharp Words to the Leaders ^(A)

15 Some of the teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers from Jerusalem came to Jesus. They asked, ² “Why do Your followers not obey the teaching that was given to them by our fathers? They do not wash their hands before they eat.” ³ Jesus said to them, “Why do you break the Law of God by trying to keep their teaching? ⁴ For God said, ‘Show respect to your father and mother.’ ^(B) And, ‘He who curses his father or mother will be put to death.’ ^{(C) 5} But you say that if a man says to his parents that anything he has, that might have been of help to them, is already given to God, ⁶ he does not have to show respect by helping his father and mother. You are putting aside the Word of God to keep their teaching. ⁷ You who pretend to be someone you are not, Isaiah told about you. He said, ⁸ ’These people show respect to Me with their mouth, but their heart is far from Me. ⁹ Their worship of Me is worth nothing. They teach what men have made up.’” ^(D)