Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 141

A Psalm of David.

¹ Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me. Give ear to my voice when I cry to You.

² Let my prayer be set forth as incense before You, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.^(A)

³ Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.

⁴ Incline my heart not to submit or consent to any evil thing or to be occupied in deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.

⁵ Let the righteous man smite and correct me—it is a kindness. Oil so choice let not my head refuse or discourage; for even in their evils or calamities shall my prayer continue.^(B)

⁶ When their rulers are overthrown in stony places, [their followers] shall hear my words, that they are sweet (pleasant, mild, and just).

⁷ The unburied bones [of slaughtered rulers] shall lie scattered at the mouth of Sheol, [as unregarded] as the lumps of soil behind the plowman when he breaks open the ground.^(C)

⁸ But my eyes are toward You, O God the Lord; in You do I trust and take refuge; pour not out my life nor leave it destitute and bare.

⁹ Keep me from the trap which they have laid for me, and the snares of evildoers.

¹⁰ Let the wicked fall together into their own nets, while I pass over them and escape.

²¹ And I will manifest My honor and glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see My judgment and justice [in the punishment] which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them.

²² So the house of Israel shall know, understand, and realize beyond all question that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.

²³ And the nations shall know, understand, and realize positively that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they trespassed against Me; and I hid My face from them. So I gave them into the hand of their enemies and they all fell [into captivity or were slain] by the power of the sword.^(A)

²⁴ According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them and hid My face from them.

²⁵ Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now will I reverse the captivity of Jacob and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel and will be jealous for My holy name.

²⁶ They shall forget their shame and self-reproach and all their treachery and unfaithfulness in which they have transgressed against Me, when they dwell securely in their land and there is none who makes them afraid.

²⁷ When I have brought them again from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and My justice and holiness are set apart and vindicated through them in the sight of many nations,

²⁸ Then shall they know, understand, and realize positively that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into captivity and exile among the nations and then gathered them to their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations any more [in the latter days].

²⁹ Neither will I hide My face any more then from them, when I have poured out My Spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God.

40 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity [by Babylon], in the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city [of Jerusalem] was taken, on the very same day the hand of the Lord was upon me and He brought me to that place.

² In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me down upon a very high mountain, on the south side of which there was what seemed to be the structure of a city.

³ He brought me there, and behold, there was a man [an angel] whose appearance was like bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring reed in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.

⁴ And the man said to me, Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and set your heart and mind on all that I will show you, for you are brought here that I may show them to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.

²³ All things are legitimate [permissible—and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].

²⁴ Let no one then seek his own good and advantage and profit, but [rather] each one of the other [let him seek the welfare of his neighbor].

²⁵ [As to meat offered to idols] eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question or investigating on the grounds of conscientious scruples,

²⁶ For the [whole] earth is the Lord’s and everything that is in it.^(A)

²⁷ In case one of the unbelievers invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is served to you without examining into its source because of conscientious scruples.

²⁸ But if someone tells you, This has been offered in sacrifice to an idol, do not eat it, out of consideration for the person who informed you, and for conscience’s sake—

²⁹ I mean for the sake of his conscience, not yours, [do not eat it]. For why should another man’s scruples apply to me and my liberty of action be determined by his conscience?

³⁰ If I partake [of my food] with thankfulness, why am I accused and spoken evil of because of that for which I give thanks?

³¹ So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God.

³² Do not let yourselves be [hindrances by giving] an offense to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God [^[a]do not lead others into sin by your mode of life];

³³ Just as I myself strive to please [to accommodate myself to the opinions, desires, and interests of others, adapting myself to] all men in everything I do, not aiming at or considering my own profit and advantage, but that of the many in order that they may be saved.

11 Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).