Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁴ The Lord GOD has given me a tongue of the learned, so that I should know how to minister a timely word to him who is weary. He will raise me up in the morning. In the morning He will awaken my ear to hear, as the learned.

⁵ The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious. Nor did I turn back.

⁶ I gave my back to the those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pluck out the beard. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting.

⁷ For the Lord GOD will help me. Therefore, I shall not be confounded. Therefore, I have set my face like a flint. And I know that I shall not be ashamed.

⁸ He Who justifies me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near me.

⁹ Behold, the Lord GOD will help me. Who is he who can condemn me? Lo, they shall grow old as a garment. The moth shall eat them up.

116 I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my prayers.

² For He has inclined His ear to me, when I called in my days.

³ The snares of death surrounded me and the griefs of the grave caught me. I found trouble and sorrow.

⁴ Then I called upon the Name of the LORD, “I implore You, O LORD, deliver my soul!”

⁵ The LORD is merciful and righteous; and our God is full of compassion.

⁶ The LORD preserves the simple. I was in misery and He saved me.

⁷ Return to your rest, O my soul; for the LORD has been beneficial to you.

⁸ For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

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

3 My brothers, do not let many of you become instructors, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

² For in many things we all sin. If anyone does not sin in word, he is a perfect man and able to bridle his whole body.

³ Behold, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us. And we direct their whole body.

⁴ Also, behold the ships. Though they are so great and are driven by fierce winds, they are still directed with a very small rudder, wherever the helmsman wishes.

⁵ Even so the tongue is a small member and boasts of great things. Behold how great a thing a little fire kindles.

⁶ And the tongue is fire, a world of wickedness. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature. And it is set on fire by Hell.

⁷ For the whole nature of beasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and things of the sea is tamed (and has been tamed) by mankind.

⁸ But no one can tame the tongue - an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹ With it we bless God, even the Father. And with it we curse man, who is made in the image of God.

¹⁰ Out of one mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

¹¹ Does a fountain send forth sweet and bitter in the same place?

¹² Can the fig tree, my brothers, bring forth olives; or a vine, figs? So can no fountain make both saltwater and sweet.

²⁷ And Jesus went out with His disciples into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. And along the way He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Whom do men say that I am?”

²⁸ And they answered, “Some say, John Baptist. And some, Elijah. And some, one of the Prophets.”

²⁹ And He said to them, “But whom do you say that I am?” Then Peter answered, and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”

³⁰ And He sharply charged them that they should tell no one about Him.

³¹ Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and would be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes; and be killed; and within three days, rise again.

³² And He spoke that thing boldly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.

³³ Then He turned back and looked at His disciples and rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not understand the things that are of God, but the things that are of man!”

³⁴ And He called the people to Him, with His disciples, and said to them, “Whoever will follow Me, let him forsake himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

³⁵ “For whoever will save his life, shall lose it. But whoever shall lose his life, for My sake, and the Gospel’s, shall save it.

³⁶ “For what shall it profit a man, though he should win the whole world, if he loses his soul?

³⁷ “Or what shall a man exchange for his soul?

³⁸ “For whoever among this adulterous and sinful generation shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the Glory of His Father with the holy angels.”