Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
BOOK I
(Psalms 1–41)
Psalm 1
The Two Ways
1 How happy is the man
who does not follow[a] the advice of the wicked
or take[b] the path of sinners
or join a group[c] of mockers!(A)
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.(B)
3 He is like a tree planted beside streams of water[d]
that bears its fruit in season[e](C)
and whose leaf does not wither.(D)
Whatever he does prospers.(E)
2 [a]Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “You have seen with your own eyes everything the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to his entire land. 3 You saw with your own eyes the great trials and those great signs and wonders.(A) 4 Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.(B) 5 I led you 40 years in the wilderness; your clothes and the sandals on your feet did not wear out; 6 you did not eat bread or drink wine or beer—so that you might know that I am Yahweh your God. 7 When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us in battle, but we defeated them. 8 We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.(C) 9 Therefore, observe the words of this covenant(D) and follow them, so that you will succeed in everything you do.
10 “All of you are standing today before the Lord your God—your leaders, tribes, elders, officials, all the men of Israel, 11 your children, your wives, and the foreigners in your camps who cut your wood and draw your water— 12 so that you may enter into the covenant of the Lord your God, which He is making with you today, so that you may enter into His oath 13 and so that He may establish you today as His people and He may be your God as He promised you and as He swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 14 I am making this covenant and this oath not only with you, 15 but also with those who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God and with those who are not here today.
Abandoning the Covenant
16 “Indeed, you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and passed through the nations where you traveled. 17 You saw their detestable images and idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold, which were among them. 18 Be sure there is no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Be sure there is no root among you bearing poisonous and bitter fruit.(E) 19 When someone hears the words of this oath, he may consider himself exempt,[b] thinking, ‘I will have peace even though I follow my own stubborn heart.’ This will lead to the destruction of the well-watered land as well as the dry land. 20 The Lord will not be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that person, and every curse written in this scroll will descend on him. The Lord will blot out his name under heaven,
34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.(A) 35 For I came to turn
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and a man’s enemies will be
the members of his household.(B)[a]
37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me;(C) the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow[b] Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Anyone finding[c] his life will lose it,(D) and anyone losing[d] his life because of Me will find it.(E)
A Cup of Cold Water
40 “The one who welcomes you welcomes Me,(F) and the one who welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me.(G) 41 Anyone who[e] welcomes a prophet(H) because he is a prophet[f] will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who[g] welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous[h] will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives(I) just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple[i](J)—I assure you: He will never lose his reward!”
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