Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
To the Director: On an eight stringed harp.[a] A Davidic Psalm.
Human and Divine Words Contrasted
12 Help, Lord, for godly people no longer exist;
trustworthy people have disappeared from humanity.[b]
2 Everyone speaks lies to his neighbor;
they speak with flattering lips and hidden motives.[c]
3 The Lord will cut off all slippery lips,
and the tongue that boasts great things,
4 those who say,
“By our tongues we will prevail;
our lips belong to us.
Who is master[d] over us?”
5 “Because the poor are being oppressed,
because the needy are sighing,
I will now arise,” says the Lord,
“I will establish in safety those who yearn for it.”
6 The words of the Lord are pure,
like silver refined in an earthen furnace,
purified seven times over.
7 You, Lord, will keep them[e] safe,
you will guard them[f] from this generation forever.
8 The wicked, however,[g] keep walking around,
exalting the vileness of human beings.[h]
12 There is a pathway that seems right to a man,
but in the end it’s a road to death.
13 Even in laughter there may be heartache,
and at the end of joy there may be grief.
14 The faithless one will pay for his behavior,[a]
but a good man will be rewarded[b] for his.
15 An unthinking person believes everything,
but the prudent one thinks before acting.[c]
16 The wise person fears and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and overconfident.
17 A quick tempered person does foolish things,
and a devious man is hated.
18 The naïve inherit folly,
but the careful are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evil men will bow down in the presence of good men
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor person is shunned by his neighbor,
but many are the friends of the wealthy.
21 Whoever despises his neighbor sins,
but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy.
22 Won’t those who plot evil go astray?
But gracious love and truth are for those who plan what is good.
23 In hard work there is always profit,
but too much chattering[d] leads to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the stupidity of fools is just that—stupidity!
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but the person who lies is deceitful.
26 Rock-solid security is found[e] in the fear of the Lord,
and within it one’s children find refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
enabling anyone to escape the snares of death.
28 A large population is a king’s glory,
but a shortage of people is a ruler’s ruin.
29 Being slow to get angry compares to great understanding
as being quick-tempered compares to stupidity.
30 A tranquil mind brings life to one’s body,
but jealousy causes one’s bones to rot.
31 Whoever oppresses the poor defies their Creator,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors them.
Peter and John are Tried before the Jewish Council
4 While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the commander of the Temple guards, and the Sadducees came to them. 2 They were greatly disturbed that Peter and John[a] were teaching the people and announcing that Jesus had been resurrected[b] from the dead. 3 So they arrested them and placed them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening. 4 But many of those who heard their message believed, and the men grew to number about 5,000.
5 The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes met in Jerusalem 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John,[c] Alexander, and the rest of the high priest’s family. 7 They made Peter and John[d] stand in front of them and began asking, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
8 Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, told them, “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being questioned today for a good deed done for someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed, 10 you and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus from Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. 11 He is
‘the stone that was rejected by you builders,
which has become the cornerstone.’[e]
12 There is no salvation by anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”
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