Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 141
Protection from Sin and Sinners
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, I call on you; hurry to help me.
Listen to my voice when I call on you.(A)
2 May my prayer be set before you as incense,(B)
the raising of my hands as the evening offering.(C)
3 Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.(D)
4 Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing
or perform wicked acts with evildoers.
Do not let me feast on their delicacies.(E)
5 Let the righteous one strike me—
it is an act of faithful love;
let him rebuke me—
it is oil for my head;
let me[a] not refuse it.(F)
Even now my prayer is against
the evil acts of the wicked.[b](G)
6 When their rulers[c] will be thrown off
the sides of a cliff,
the people[d] will listen to my words,
for they are pleasing.(H)
Promise of Israel’s Restoration
14 The word of the Lord came to me again: 15 “Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem your property,[a][b] along with the entire house of Israel—all of them—are those to whom the residents of Jerusalem have said, ‘You are far from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’
16 “Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Though I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them(A) in the countries where they have gone.’
17 “Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the peoples(B) and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’
18 “When they arrive there, they will remove all its(C) abhorrent acts(D) and detestable practices from it. 19 I will give them integrity of[c] heart(E) and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone(F) from their bodies[d] and give them a heart of flesh,(G) 20 so that they will follow my statutes,(H) keep my ordinances, and practice them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.(I) 21 But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for abhorrent acts and detestable practices, I will bring their conduct down on their own heads.”(J) This is the declaration of the Lord God.
God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem
22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, lifted their wings,(K) and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23 The glory of the Lord(L) rose up from within the city and stopped on the mountain(M) east of the city.[e](N) 24 The Spirit lifted me up(O) and brought me to Chaldea and to the exiles in a vision from the Spirit of God. After the vision I had seen left me, 25 I spoke to the exiles about all the things the Lord had shown me.
25 Therefore, putting away(A) lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor,[a](B) because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin.[b](C) Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don’t give the devil an opportunity. 28 Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share(D) with anyone in need. 29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need,[c] so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit.(E) You were sealed by him[d] for the day of redemption.(F) 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind(G) and compassionate(H) to one another, forgiving(I) one another, just as God also forgave you[e] in Christ.
5 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us,(J) a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.