Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
97 O, how I love Your Law! It is what I think about all through the day. 98 Your Word makes me wiser than those who hate me, for it is always with me. 99 I have better understanding than all my teachers because I think about Your Law. 100 I have a better understanding than those who are old because I obey Your Word. 101 I have kept my feet from every sinful way so that I may keep Your Word. 102 I have not turned away from Your Law, for You Yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet is Your Word to my taste! It is sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 I get understanding from Your Law and so I hate every false way.
10 “Now I will rise up,” says the Lord. “Now I will be honored. Now I will be lifted up. 11 You bring life to what is of no worth. You give birth to what is of no use. My breath will destroy you like a fire. 12 The people will be burned to white dust, like thorns cut down and burned in the fire.
13 “You who are far away, hear what I have done. And you who are near, speak of My power.” 14 Sinners in Zion are filled with fear. The sinful shake with fear. They cry, “Who among us can live with the fire that destroys? Who among us can live with the fire that burns forever?” 15 He who walks with God, and whose words are good and honest, he who will not take money received from wrong-doing, and will not receive money given in secret for wrong-doing, he who stops his ears from hearing about killing, and shuts his eyes from looking at what is sinful, 16 he will have a place on high. His safe place will be a rock that cannot be taken over. He will be given food and will have water for sure.
16 You have not chosen Me, I have chosen you. I have set you apart for the work of bringing in fruit. Your fruit should last. And whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you.
The Christian and the World
17 “This is what I tell you to do: Love each other. 18 If the world hates you, you know it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. You do not belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world and the world hates you. 20 Remember I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his owner.’ If they made it very hard for Me, they will make it very hard for you also. If they obeyed My teachings, they will obey your teachings also. 21 They will do all these things to you because you belong to Me. They do not know My Father Who sent Me.
22 “I have come and have spoken to them so they are guilty of sin. But now they have no reason to give for keeping their sin any longer. 23 Whoever hates Me, hates My Father also. 24 I have done things among them which no one else has done so they are guilty of sin. But now they have seen these things and have hated Me and My Father. 25 This happened as their Law said it would happen, ‘They hated Me without a reason.’
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