Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A psalm by David; a maskil.[a]
32 Blessed is the person whose disobedience is forgiven
and whose sin is pardoned.
2 Blessed is the person whom the Lord no longer accuses of sin
and who has no deceitful thoughts.
3 When I kept silent ⌞about my sins⌟,
my bones began to weaken because of my groaning all day long.
4 Day and night your hand laid heavily on me.
My strength shriveled in the summer heat. Selah
5 I made my sins known to you, and I did not cover up my guilt.
I decided to confess them to you, O Lord.
Then you forgave all my sins. Selah
6 For this reason let all godly people pray to you
when you may be found.
Then raging floodwater will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place.
You protect me from trouble.
You surround me with joyous songs of salvation. Selah
8 A sacrifice brought by wicked people is disgusting to the Lord,
but the prayers of decent people please him.
9 The way of wicked people is disgusting to the Lord,
but he loves those who pursue righteousness.
10 Discipline is a terrible ⌞burden⌟ to anyone who leaves the ⌞right⌟ path.
Anyone who hates a warning will die.
11 If Sheol and Abaddon lie open in front of the Lord
how much more the human heart!
24 The path of life for a wise person leads upward
in order to turn him away from hell below.
25 The Lord tears down the house of an arrogant person,
but he protects the property of widows.
26 The thoughts of evil people are disgusting to the Lord,
but pleasant words are pure to him.
27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble to his family,
but whoever hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of a righteous person carefully considers how to answer,
but the mouths of wicked people pour out a flood of evil things.
29 The Lord is far from wicked people,
but he hears the prayers of righteous people.
30 A twinkle in the eye delights the heart.
Good news refreshes the body.
31 The ear that listens to a life-giving warning
will be at home among wise people.
32 Whoever ignores discipline despises himself,
but the person who listens to warning gains understanding.
33 The fear of the Lord is discipline ⌞leading to⌟ wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.
Greeting
1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and from Timothy our brother.
To God’s church in the city of Corinth and to all God’s holy people everywhere in Greece.
2 Good will [a] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are yours!
God Comforts Paul and the Corinthians
3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who is compassionate and the God who gives comfort. 4 He comforts us whenever we suffer. That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God. 5 Because Christ suffered so much for us, we can receive so much comfort from him. 6 Besides, if we suffer, it brings you comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, we can effectively comfort you when you endure the same sufferings that we endure. 7 We have confidence in you. We know that as you share our sufferings, you also share our comfort.
God Rescued Paul When He Was Suffering
8 Brothers and sisters, we don’t want you to be ignorant about the suffering we experienced in the province of Asia. It was so extreme that it was beyond our ability to endure. We even wondered if we could go on living. 9 In fact, we still feel as if we’re under a death sentence. But we suffered so that we would stop trusting ourselves and learn to trust God, who brings the dead back to life. 10 He has rescued us from a terrible death, and he will rescue us in the future. We are confident that he will continue to rescue us, 11 since you are also joining to help us when you pray for us. Then many people will thank God for the favor he will show us because many people prayed for us.
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