Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A psalm by David.
141 O Lord, I cry out to you, “Come quickly.”
Open your ears to me when I cry out to you.
2 Let my prayer be accepted
as sweet-smelling incense in your presence.
Let the lifting up of my hands in prayer be accepted
as an evening sacrifice.
3 O Lord, set a guard at my mouth.
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not let me be persuaded to do anything evil
or to become involved with wickedness,
with people who are troublemakers.
Do not let me taste their delicacies.
5 A righteous person may strike me or correct me out of kindness.
It is like lotion for my head.
My head will not refuse it,
because my prayer is directed against evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown off a cliff,
they will listen to what I have to say.
It will sound pleasant ⌞to them⌟.
7 As someone plows and breaks up the ground,
so our bones will be planted at the mouth of the grave.
8 My eyes look to you, Lord Almighty.
I have taken refuge in you.
Do not leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me away from the trap they set for me
and from the traps set by troublemakers.
10 Let wicked people fall into their own nets,
while I escape unharmed.
The Lord’s Promise to Gather Israel from the Nations
14 Then the Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 15 “Son of man, the people who live in Jerusalem are talking about your own relatives and about the entire nation of Israel. The people who live in Jerusalem say, ‘They are far away from the Lord. This land has been given to us as our own property.’
16 “So tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, I have been their sanctuary for a little while among the countries where they’ve gone.’
17 “So tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will bring them together from the nations and gather them from the countries where I’ve scattered them. I will give them the land of Israel. 18 They will come and remove all the disgusting and detestable things that are there. 19 I will give them a single purpose and put a new spirit in them. I will remove their stubborn hearts and give them obedient hearts. 20 Then they will live by my laws and obey my rules. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those whose minds are set on following detestable and disgusting idols, I will pay them back for what they have done, declares the Almighty Lord.’ ”
The Glory of the Lord Leaves Jerusalem
22 Then the angels [a] raised their wings, with the wheels beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23 The Lord’s glory left the middle of the city and stopped above the mountain east of the city.
24 In this vision from God’s Spirit, the Spirit lifted me and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia. Then the vision I saw left me.
25 I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.
25 So then, get rid of lies. Speak the truth to each other, because we are all members of the same body.
26 Be angry without sinning. Don’t go to bed angry. 27 Don’t give the devil any opportunity ⌞to work⌟.
28 Thieves must quit stealing and, instead, they must work hard. They should do something good with their hands so that they’ll have something to share with those in need.
29 Don’t say anything that would hurt ⌞another person⌟. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. 30 Don’t give God’s Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free ⌞from the world of sin⌟.
31 Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. 32 Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ.
Imitate God
5 Imitate God, since you are the children he loves. 2 Live in love as Christ also loved us. He gave his life for us as an offering and sacrifice, a soothing aroma to God.
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