Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Tell the music leader to use flutes.
This is a song that David wrote.
Pray about your enemies[a]
5 Lord, listen to what I say to you.
I am upset, so think about what I am saying.
2 My King and my God, listen to my voice.
I am asking you to help me.
I am praying to you!
3 Lord, every morning you listen to my voice.
At sunrise I will turn to you for help,
and I will wait for you to answer.[b]
4 My God, you do not like anything that is bad.
Evil people cannot live near you.
5 Proud people cannot stand in front of you.
God, you hate everyone who does evil things.
6 You destroy those who tell lies.
The Lord hates murderers,
and those who deceive others.[c]
7 But I will come into your house,
because of your faithful love.
I will bend low in your holy temple,
and I will worship you.
8 Lord, help me to follow your right way.
My enemies are waiting to attack me.
Show the right way clearly to me,
so that I do not go the wrong way.
9 My enemies never speak what is true.
They only want to destroy people.
Their mouth has the smell of an open grave.[d]
Their tongues say nice things,
but they are all lies!
10 God, say that they are guilty!
Let their own wicked ideas bring punishment to them.
Send them away because they do so many bad things.
Yes, they have turned against you.
11 Please make people who turn to you happy.
Make them always sing with joy,
because you keep them safe.
Take care of those who are faithful to you.
Then they will be really happy.
12 Lord, you bless those who live in a right way.
Your love is like a shield that keeps them safe.
21 If you have wise thoughts,
people will say that you know what is right.
If you speak kind words,
people will accept your teaching.
22 Wisdom is like a spring of fresh water that gives life to those who have it.
But the silly things that fools do brings them punishment.
23 Wise people think carefully and they speak wise words.
Then other people will accept their teaching.
24 Kind words are as sweet as honey.
They also bring health and strength.
25 You may think that you are on a good, straight road.
But in the end, that road may lead you to death.
26 When a worker feels hungry, it causes him to work more.
So it helps him to get food to eat.
27 Wicked people look for ways to hurt other people.
The cruel things that they say are like flames of fire.
28 People who tell lies cause arguments.
If you tell people's secrets, you will lose all your friends.
29 Violent people deceive their friends.
They lead their friends to do wrong things.
30 If someone sends secret messages with his eyes,
he has a plan to hurt someone.
If he squeezes his lips together,
he is ready to do an evil thing.
31 Grey hair is like a beautiful crown on your head!
People who live in a righteous way may wear it.
32 A person who is patient is better than a brave soldier.
If you can control your anger, you can win any battle.
33 People throw dice to choose what is right.
But it is the Lord who decides the answer.
Jesus tells the Pharisees and teachers of God's Law to obey God
15 After that, a group of Pharisees and teachers of God's Law came from Jerusalem to talk to Jesus. 2 They said, ‘Our leaders in past times taught us the right way to do everything. But your disciples do not obey the things that our leaders taught us. They do not wash their hands in the right way before they eat a meal. Why is that?’
3 Jesus replied, ‘God tells us the right way to obey him. But you refuse. Instead, you like to keep your own ideas. 4 God's Law says: “You must love your father and mother and obey them.” God also said, “A person should die if he says bad things against his father or against his mother.” 5 But you teach that a person may say to his father or to his mother, “I would have given gifts to help you. But I cannot do that because I have given them to God instead.” 6 Then, you let that person give nothing to his parents. He does not have to help them. This shows that you have not obeyed what God says is right. Instead, you have obeyed your own ideas. 7 You are hypocrites! What God's prophet Isaiah wrote about you long ago is true:
8 God says, “These people say good things about me,
but they do not really want to obey me.
9 They say that I am great.
But what they say has no purpose.
They teach their own rules, which I did not give to them.” ’
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