Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

18 The Word of the LORD came to me again, saying:

² “What do you mean when you speak this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?’

³ “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.

⁴ “Behold, all souls are Mine. Both the soul of the father, and also the soul of the son, are Mine. The soul that sins, it shall die.

²⁵ “Yet you say, ‘The way of the LORD is not equal.’ Hear now, O House of Israel! Is it not My way which is equal, and your ways unequal?

²⁶ “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he shall die for the same. He shall die for his iniquity that he has done.

²⁷ “Again, when the wicked turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

²⁸ “Because he considers and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live and shall not die.

²⁹ “Still, the House of Israel says, ‘The way of the LORD is not equal.’ O House of Israel! Is it not My way which is equal, and your ways unequal?

³⁰ “Therefore, I will judge you, O House of Israel, everyone according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your destruction.

³¹ “Cast away from you all your transgressions by which you have transgressed and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, O House of Israel?

³² “For I do not desire the death of him who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, therefore, and live!”

25 To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

² My God, I trust in You. Let me not be confounded. Do not let my enemies rejoice over me.

³ So all who hope in You shall not be ashamed. Let those who transgress without cause be confounded.

⁴ Show me Your ways, O LORD, and teach me Your paths.

⁵ Lead me forth in Your truth and teach me. For You are the God of my salvation. In You do I trust, all the day.

⁶ Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies, and Your lovingkindness. For they have been forever.

⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my rebellions. But according to Your kindness remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.

⁸ Gracious and righteous are the LORD. Therefore, He will teach sinners in the way.

⁹ Those who are meek, He will guide in judgment and teach the humble His way.

2 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassion and affection,

² fulfill my joy; so that you are like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one judgment.

³ So that nothing is done through self-interest or empty pride. But that in humility, everyone thinks others better than himself.

⁴ Do not be preoccupied with your own things, but rather with the things of others.

⁵ Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus;

⁶ Who, being in the form of God, did not eagerly desire equality with God as a prize.

⁷ But He emptied Himself and took on the form of a servant (and the likeness of a man, having been made).

⁸ He humbled Himself and became obedient to the death - even the death of the cross.

⁹ Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and given Him a Name above every name,

¹⁰ so that at the Name of Jesus, every knee should bow—in Heaven, and on Earth, and under the Earth—

¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹² Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me - not only in my presence, but now much more so in my absence - work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

¹³ For it is God who works in you - both in your will and in your works - according to His good pleasure.

²³ And when He had come into the Temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority do You do these things? And who gave You this authority?”

²⁴ Then Jesus answered, and said to them, “I will also ask of you a certain thing which, if you tell me, I will likewise tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁵ “The baptism of John. From where did it come - from Heaven or from man?” Then they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we shall say, ‘From Heaven’, He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

²⁶ “And if we say, ‘From man’, we fear the multitude.” For all held John as a Prophet.

²⁷ Then they answered Jesus, and said, “We cannot tell.” And He said to them, “Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁸ “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and came to the elder, and said, ‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard.’

²⁹ “But he answered, and said, ‘I will not.’ But later he changed his mind and went.

³⁰ “Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered, and said, ‘I will, sir.’ But he did not go.

³¹ “Which of the two did the will of the father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes go before you into the Kingdom of God.

³² “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And you, though you saw it, were not moved with repentance afterward, so that you might believe him.