Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
4 Hear this, you who [a](A)trample the needy, to put an end to the humble of the land, 5 saying,
“When will the (B)new moon [b]be over,
So that we may sell grain;
And the (C)Sabbath, so that we may open the wheat market,
To make the [c]ephah smaller and the [d]shekel bigger,
And to (D)cheat with dishonest scales,
6 So as to (E)buy the helpless for [e]money,
And the needy for a pair of sandals,
And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”
The Lord Exalts the Humble.
113 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
(A)Praise Him, you (B)servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
2 (C)Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time on and forever.
3 (D)From [c]the rising of the sun to its setting,
The (E)name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is (F)high above all nations;
His (G)glory is above the heavens.
5 (H)Who is like the Lord our God,
Who (I)is enthroned on high,
6 Who (J)looks far down to
The heavens and the earth?
7 He (K)raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the garbage heap,
8 To (L)seat them with noblemen,
With the noblemen of His people.
9 He (M)has the infertile woman live in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
[d]Praise [e]the Lord!
A Call to Prayer
2 First of all, then, I urge that (A)requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, 2 (B)for kings and all who are in [a]authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and [b]dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of (C)God our Savior, 4 (D)who wants all people to be (E)saved and to (F)come to the [c]knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is (G)one God, and (H)one mediator also between God and mankind, the (I)Man Christ Jesus, 6 who (J)gave Himself as a ransom for all, the (K)testimony [d]given at [e](L)the proper time. 7 (M)For this I was appointed as a [f]preacher and (N)an apostle ((O)I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of (P)the Gentiles in faith and truth.
The Unrighteous Manager
16 Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was [a]reported to him as (A)squandering his possessions. 2 And he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What am I to do, since my [b]master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to [c]dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ 5 And he summoned each one of his [d]master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred [e]jugs of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred [f]kors of wheat.’ He *said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 And his [g]master complimented the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of (B)this age are more shrewd in relation to their own [h]kind than the (C)sons of light. 9 And I say to you, (D)make friends for yourselves by means of the [i](E)wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it [j]is all gone, (F)they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.
10 “(G)The one who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and the one who is unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much. 11 Therefore if you have not [k]been faithful in the use of unrighteous [l](H)wealth, who will entrust the true wealth to you? 12 And if you have not [m]been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 (I)No [n]servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [o](J)wealth.”
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