Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Prayer for Safekeeping from Wickedness
A Psalm of David.
141 Lord, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
2 Let my prayer be set before You (A)as incense,
(B)The lifting up of my hands as (C)the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my (D)mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
(E)And do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 (F)Let the righteous strike me;
It shall be a kindness.
And let him rebuke me;
It shall be as excellent oil;
Let my head not refuse it.
For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.
6 Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the [a]cliff,
And they hear my words, for they are sweet.
7 Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,
As when one plows and breaks up the earth.
Israel Restored to the Land
21 (A)“I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and (B)My hand which I have laid on them. 22 (C)So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward. 23 (D)The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore (E)I hid My face from them. I (F)gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 (G)According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’
25 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: (H)‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the (I)whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name— 26 (J)after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they (K)dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. 27 (L)When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I (M)am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, 28 (N)then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them [a]captive any longer. 29 (O)And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have (P)poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.”
A New City, a New Temple
40 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after (Q)the city was [b]captured, on the very same day (R)the hand of the Lord was upon me; and He took me there. 2 (S)In the visions of God He took me into the land of Israel and (T)set me on a very high mountain; on it toward the south was something like the structure of a city. 3 He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was (U)like the appearance of bronze. (V)He had a line of flax (W)and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.
4 And the man said to me, (X)“Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and [c]fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. (Y)Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.”
All to the Glory of God(A)
23 All things are lawful [a]for me, but not all things are (B)helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things [b]edify. 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one (C)the other’s well-being.
25 (D)Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for (E)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”
27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, (F)eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it (G)for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; [c]for (H)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For (I)why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food (J)over which I give thanks?
31 (K)Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 (L)Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just (M)as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Worship and the Lord’s Supper
11 Imitate(N) me, just as I also imitate Christ.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.