Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹²¹ I have done justice and righteousness; leave me not to those who would oppress me.

¹²² Be surety for Your servant for good [as Judah was surety for the safety of Benjamin]; let not the proud oppress me.^(A)

¹²³ My eyes fail, watching for Your salvation and for the fulfillment of Your righteous promise.

¹²⁴ Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy and loving-kindness, and teach me Your statutes.

¹²⁵ I am Your servant; give me understanding (discernment and comprehension), that I may know (discern and be familiar with the character of) Your testimonies.

¹²⁶ It is time for the Lord to act; they have frustrated Your law.

¹²⁷ Therefore I love Your commandments more than [resplendent] gold, yes, more than [perfectly] refined gold.

¹²⁸ Therefore I esteem as right all, yes, all Your precepts; I hate every false way.

²⁹ And God gave Solomon exceptionally much wisdom and understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand of the seashore.

³⁰ Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.

³¹ For he was wiser ^[a]than all other men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame was in all the nations round about.

³² He also originated 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.

³³ He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.

³⁴ Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

¹⁰ In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

¹¹ Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

¹² For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

¹³ Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].

¹⁴ Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,

¹⁵ And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the ^[a]firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness ^[b]produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.^(A)

¹⁶ Lift up over all the [covering] shield of ^[c]saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].

¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit ^[d]wields, which is the Word of God.

¹⁸ Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).