Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A maskil of David.
32 It is a great blessing
when people are forgiven for the wrongs they have done,
when their sins are erased.[a]
2 It is a great blessing
when the Lord says they are not guilty,
when they don’t try to hide their sins.
3 Lord, I prayed to you again and again,
but I did not talk about my sins.
So I only became weaker and more miserable.
4 Every day you made life harder for me.
I became like a dry land in the hot summertime. Selah
5 But then I decided to confess my sins to the Lord.
I stopped hiding my guilt and told you about my sins.
And you forgave them all! Selah
6 That is why your loyal followers pray to you while there is still time.
Then when trouble rises like a flood, it will not reach them.
7 You are a hiding place for me.
You protect me from my troubles.
You surround me and protect me,
so I sing about the way you saved me. Selah
8 The Lord hates the offerings of the wicked, but he is happy to hear the prayers of those who live right.
9 The Lord hates the way evil people live, but he loves those who try to do good.
10 Whoever stops living right will be punished. Whoever hates to be corrected will be destroyed.
11 The Lord knows everything, even what happens in the place of death. So surely he knows what people are thinking.
24 What wise people do leads to life here on earth[a] and stops them from going down to the place of death.
25 The Lord destroys a proud man’s house but protects a widow’s property.
26 The Lord hates evil thoughts, but he is pleased with kind words.
27 Whoever takes money to do wrong invites disaster. Refuse such gifts, and you will live.
28 Good people think before they answer, but the wicked do not, and what they say causes trouble.
29 The Lord is far away from the wicked, but he always hears the prayers of those who do what is right.
30 A smile[b] makes people happy. Good news makes them feel better.
31 To be counted among the wise, you must learn to accept helpful criticism.
32 If you refuse to be corrected, you are only hurting yourself. Listen to criticism, and you will gain understanding.
33 Wisdom teaches you to respect the Lord. You must be humbled before you can be honored.
1 Greetings from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted. Greetings also from Timothy our brother in Christ.
To God’s church in Corinth and to all of God’s holy people throughout Achaia.
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul Gives Thanks to God
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Father who is full of mercy, the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us. 5 We share in the many sufferings of Christ. In the same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ. 6 If we have troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is so that we can comfort you. And this helps you patiently accept the same sufferings we have. 7 Our hope for you is strong. We know that you share in our sufferings. So we know that you also share in our comfort.
8 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the trouble we suffered in Asia. We had great burdens there, which were greater than our own strength. We even gave up hope for life. 9 In fact, it seems like God has been telling us we are going to die. But this is so that we will not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from death. 10 He saved us from these great dangers of death, and he will continue to save us. We feel sure he will always save us. 11 And you can help us with your prayers. Then many people will give thanks for us—that God blessed us because of their many prayers.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International