Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
God, a Helper against the Treacherous.
For the music director; [a]upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.
12 Help, Lord, for (A)the godly person has come to an end,
For the faithful have disappeared from the sons of mankind.
2 They (B)speak [b]lies to one another;
They speak with [c](C)flattering lips and a double heart.
3 May the Lord cut off all [d]flattering lips,
The tongue that (D)speaks great things;
4 Who (E)have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are [e]our own; who is lord over us?”
5 “Because of the (F)devastation of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now (G)I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will (H)put him in the safety for which he longs.”
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His (A)neighbor is shown no compassion in his eyes.
11 When the (B)scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise;
But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
12 The [a]righteous one considers the house of the wicked,
Bringing the (C)wicked to ruin.
13 One who (D)shuts his ear to the outcry of the poor
Will also call out himself, and not be (E)answered.
14 A (F)gift in secret subdues anger,
And a bribe [b]in an inside pocket, strong wrath.
15 The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous,
But (G)terror to those who practice injustice.
16 A person who wanders from the way of understanding
Will (H)rest in the assembly of the [c]dead.
45 (A)And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, (B)who like to walk around in long robes, and love personal greetings in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 47 who [a]devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive all the more condemnation.”
The Widow’s Gift
21 (C)Now He looked up and saw the wealthy putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 And He saw a poor widow putting [b]in (D)two [c]lepta coins. 3 And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; 4 for they all [d]contributed to the [e]offering from their [f]surplus; but she, from her poverty, put in all [g]that she had (E)to live on.”
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