Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁶⁵ Lord, I am overflowing with your blessings, just as you promised. ⁶⁶ Now teach me good judgment as well as knowledge. For your laws are my guide. ⁶⁷ I used to wander off until you punished me; now I closely follow all you say. ⁶⁸ You are good and do only good; make me follow your lead.

⁶⁹ Proud men have made up lies about me, but the truth is that I obey your laws with all my heart. ⁷⁰ Their minds are dull and stupid, but I have sense enough to follow you.

^71-72 The punishment you gave me was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws. They are more valuable to me than millions in silver and gold!

¹² On that day the Lord Almighty will move against the proud and haughty and bring them to the dust. ¹³ All the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the mighty oaks of Bashan shall bend low, ¹⁴ and all the high mountains and hills, ¹⁵ and every high tower and wall, ¹⁶ and all the proud ocean ships and trim harbor craft—all shall be crushed before the Lord that day. ¹⁷ All the glory of mankind will bow low; the pride of men will lie in the dust, and the Lord alone will be exalted.

1 ^1-2 From: Paul, the slave of God and the messenger of Jesus Christ.

I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know God’s truth—the kind of truth that changes lives—so that they can have eternal life, which God promised them before the world began—and he cannot lie. ³ And now in his own good time he has revealed this Good News and permits me to tell it to everyone. By command of God our Savior, I have been trusted to do this work for him.

⁴ To: Titus, who is truly my son in the affairs of the Lord.

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you his blessings and his peace.

⁵ I left you there on the island of Crete so that you could do whatever was needed to help strengthen each of its churches, and I asked you to appoint pastors^[a] in every city who would follow the instructions I gave you. ⁶ The men you choose must be well thought of for their good lives; they must have only one wife and their children must love the Lord and not have a reputation for being wild or disobedient to their parents.

⁷ These pastors must be men of blameless lives because they are God’s ministers. They must not be proud or impatient; they must not be drunkards or fighters or greedy for money. ⁸ They must enjoy having guests in their homes and must love all that is good. They must be sensible men, and fair. They must be clean minded and level headed. ⁹ Their belief in the truth that they have been taught must be strong and steadfast so that they will be able to teach it to others and show those who disagree with them where they are wrong.