Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Folly of Trusting in Riches.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
49 (A)Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all (B)inhabitants of the world,
2 Both (C)low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will (D)speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be (E)understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to (F)a proverb;
(G)I will [a]express my (H)riddle on the harp.
5 Why should I (I)fear in days of adversity,
When the iniquity of my [b]foes surrounds me,
6 Even those who (J)trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7 No man can by any means (K)redeem his brother
Or give to God a (L)ransom for him—
8 For (M)the redemption of [c]his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever—
9 That he should (N)live on eternally,
That he should not [d](O)undergo decay.
10 For he sees that even (P)wise men die;
The (Q)stupid and the senseless alike perish
And (R)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their [e](S)inner thought is that their houses (T)are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have (U)called their lands after their own names.
12 But (V)man in his [f]pomp will not endure;
He is like the [g]beasts that [h]perish.
Precepts and Warnings
24 Do not be (A)envious of evil men,
Nor desire to (B)be with them;
2 For their [a]minds devise (C)violence,
And their lips (D)talk of trouble.
3 (E)By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
4 And by knowledge the rooms are (F)filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A (G)wise man is [b]strong,
And a man of knowledge [c]increases power.
6 For (H)by wise guidance you will [d]wage war,
And (I)in abundance of counselors there is victory.
8 One who (L)plans to do evil,
Men will call a [e]schemer.
9 The (M)devising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you (N)are slack in the day of distress,
Your strength is limited.
11 (O)Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.
12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not (P)consider it (Q)who weighs the hearts?
And (R)does He not know it who (S)keeps your soul?
And will He not [f](T)render to man according to his work?
The Christian’s Walk
17 (A)So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, (B)that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the (C)futility of their mind, 18 being (D)darkened in their understanding, [a](E)excluded from the life of God because of the (F)ignorance that is in them, because of the (G)hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having (H)become callous, (I)have given themselves over to (J)sensuality [b]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not (K)learn [c]Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you (L)have heard Him and have (M)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you (N)lay aside the (O)old [d]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the (P)lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be (Q)renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and (R)put on the (S)new [e]self, which [f](T)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.