Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 146

¹ Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise the Lord, O my soul!

² While I live will I praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have any being.

³ Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

⁴ When his breath leaves him, he returns to his earth; in that very day his [previous] thoughts, plans, and purposes perish.^(A)

⁵ Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is he who has the God of [special revelation to] Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God,^(B)

⁶ Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,

⁷ Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets free the prisoners,

⁸ The Lord opens the eyes of the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright in heart and in right standing with Him).^(C)

⁹ The Lord protects and preserves the strangers and temporary residents, He upholds the fatherless and the widow and sets them upright, but the way of the wicked He makes crooked (turns upside down and brings to ruin).

¹⁰ The Lord shall reign forever, even Your God, O Zion, from generation to generation. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)^(D)

¹¹ The rich man is wise in his own eyes and conceit, but the poor man who has understanding will find him out.

¹² When the [uncompromisingly] righteous triumph, there is great glory and celebration; but when the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves.

¹³ He who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes his sins will obtain mercy.^(A)

¹⁴ Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is the man who reverently and worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of circumstances], but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

¹⁵ Like a roaring lion or a ravenous and charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

¹⁶ A ruler who lacks understanding is [like a wicked one] a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness and unjust gain shall prolong his days.

¹⁷ If a man willfully sheds the blood of a person [and keeps the guilt of murder upon his conscience], he is fleeing to the pit (the grave) and hastening to his own destruction; let no man stop him!

¹⁸ He who walks uprightly shall be safe, but he who willfully goes in double and wrong ways shall fall in one of them.

¹⁹ He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough.

²⁰ A faithful man shall abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich [at any cost] shall not go unpunished.^(B)

²¹ To have respect of persons and to show partiality is not good, neither is it good that man should transgress for a piece of bread.

²² He who has an evil and covetous eye hastens to be rich and knows not that want will come upon him.^(C)

²³ He who rebukes a man shall afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴ Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, This is no sin—he is in the same class as [an open, lawless robber and] a destroyer.

²⁵ He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed.

²⁶ He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident of his own mind and heart is a [self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful and godly Wisdom shall be delivered.^(D)

²⁷ He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes [from their want] will have many a curse.^(E)

²⁸ When the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves; but when they perish, the [consistently] righteous increase and become many.^(F)

⁴³ And all were astounded at the evidence of God’s mighty power and His majesty and magnificence. But [while] they were all marveling at everything Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples,

⁴⁴ Let these words sink into your ears: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men [^[a]whose conduct is opposed to God].

⁴⁵ However, they did not comprehend this saying; and it was kept hidden from them, so that they should not grasp it and understand, and they were afraid to ask Him about the statement.

⁴⁶ But a controversy arose among them as to which of them might be the greatest [surpassing the others in excellence, worth, and authority].

⁴⁷ But Jesus, as He perceived the thoughts of their hearts, took a little child and put him at His side

⁴⁸ And told them, Whoever receives and accepts and welcomes this child in My name and for My sake receives and accepts and welcomes Me; and whoever so receives Me so also receives Him Who sent Me. For he who is least and lowliest among you all—he is [the one who is truly] great.