Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁴ ¶ The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of the wise that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary; he wakes up early, early shall he awaken my ear, that I might hear, as the wise.

⁵ The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

⁶ I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to those that plucked off the hair: I did not hide my face from shame and spitting.

⁷ For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore, I was not ashamed; therefore, I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

⁸ He is near that justifies me; who will contend with me? let us stand together; who is my adversary? let him come near to me.

⁹ Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? behold, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

¹ ¶ I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.

² Because he has inclined his ear unto me, therefore I will call upon him all of my days.

³ The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of Sheol found me; I encountered trouble and sorrow.

⁴ Then I called upon the name of the LORD, saying, O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

⁵ Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

⁶ The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and he saved me.

⁷ Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with thee.

⁸ For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

⁹ I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

3 ¶ My brethren, make not unto yourselves many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

² For we all offend in many things. If any man offends not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to govern the whole body with restraint.

³ Behold, we put bits (or restraint) in the horses’ mouths to persuade them, and we govern their whole body.

⁴ Behold also the ships, which though they are so great are driven of fierce winds, yet they are governed with a very small rudder, wherever the governor desires.

⁵ In the same manner, the tongue is a very small member and boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest a little fire kindles!

⁶ And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

⁷ For every nature of beasts and of birds and of serpents and of beings in the sea may be tamed and is tamed by mankind,

⁸ but no man can tame the tongue, which is an evil that cannot be restrained and is full of deadly poison.

⁹ With it we bless God, even the Father; and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God.

¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

¹¹ Does a fountain send forth at the same place both sweet and bitter water?

¹² Can the fig tree, my brethren, produce olive berries? or the vine, figs? In the same manner no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

²⁷ ¶ And Jesus and his disciples went out into the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Who do men say that I am?

²⁸ And they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, One of the prophets.

²⁹ Then he said unto them, But who say ye that I am? And Peter answered and said unto him, Thou art the Christ!

³⁰ And he commanded them that they should tell no one of this regarding him.

³¹ And he began to teach them that it was convenient that the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected of the elders and of the princes of the priests and of the scribes, and be killed and after three days rise again.

³² And he spoke this word clearly. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him.

³³ And he, turning about and looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter, saying, Get thyself from me, Satan, for thou knowest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.

³⁴ And calling the multitude unto him with his disciples, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross {Gr. stauros – stake} and follow me.

³⁵ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

³⁶ For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

³⁷ Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

³⁸ Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.