Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 25

Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance

Of David.

⁵ If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right— ⁶ if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period,^{(A) 7} does not oppress anyone but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,^{(B) 8} does not take advance or accrued interest, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between contending parties,^{(C) 9} follows my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances, acting faithfully—such a one is righteous; he shall surely live, says the Lord God.^(D)

¹⁰ If he has a son who is violent, a shedder of blood,^{(E) 11} who does any of these things (though his father^[a] does none of them), who eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor’s wife, ¹² oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination,^{(F) 13} takes advance or accrued interest, shall he then live? He shall not. He has done all these abominable things; he shall surely be put to death; his blood shall be upon himself.^(G)

¹⁴ But if this son has a son who sees all the sins that his father has done, considers, and does not do likewise,^{(H) 15} who does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, ¹⁶ does not wrong anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,^{(I) 17} withholds his hand from iniquity,^[b] takes no advance or accrued interest, observes my ordinances, and follows my statutes, he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live. ¹⁸ As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, he died for his iniquity.

³² And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors^{(A) 33} he has fulfilled for us, their children,^[a] by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm,

³⁴ “As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,

³⁵ “Therefore he has also said in another psalm,

³⁶ “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died,^[b] was laid beside his ancestors, and experienced corruption,^{(E) 37} but he whom God raised up experienced no corruption. ³⁸ Let it be known to you therefore, brothers and sisters,^[c] that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you;^{(F) 39} by this Jesus^[d] everyone who believes is set free from all those sins^[e] from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.^{(G) 40} Beware, therefore, that what the prophets said does not happen to you:^(H)