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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.
Duration: 1245 days
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Version
Psalm 5

Psalm 5

The Refuge of the Righteous

For the choir director: with the flutes. A Davidic psalm.

Listen to my words, Lord;
consider my sighing.(A)
Pay attention to the sound of my cry,(B)
my King and my God,(C)
for I pray to You.

At daybreak,(D) Lord, You hear my voice;
at daybreak I plead my case to You(E) and watch expectantly.

For You are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil cannot dwell with You.(F)
The boastful cannot stand in Your presence;(G)
You hate all evildoers.(H)
You destroy those who tell lies;(I)
the Lord abhors a man of bloodshed and treachery.(J)

But I enter Your house
by the abundance of Your faithful love;(K)
I bow down toward Your holy temple
in reverential awe of You.(L)
Lord, lead me in Your righteousness(M)
because of my adversaries;[a]
make Your way straight before me.(N)

For there is nothing reliable in what they say;[b](O)
destruction is within them;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongues.(P)
10 Punish them, God;
let them fall by their own schemes.(Q)
Drive them out(R) because of their many crimes,
for they rebel against You.(S)

11 But let all who take refuge in You rejoice;(T)
let them shout for joy forever.
May You shelter them,(U)
and may those who love Your name boast about You.(V)
12 For You, Lord, bless the righteous one;
You surround him with favor like a shield.(W)

Proverbs 16:21-33

21 Anyone with a wise heart is called discerning,
and pleasant speech[a] increases learning.(A)

22 Insight is a fountain of life(B) for its possessor,
but the discipline of fools is folly.

23 A wise heart instructs its mouth
and increases learning with its speech.[b](C)

24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb:(D)
sweet to the taste[c] and health to the body.[d](E)

25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.(F)

26 A worker’s appetite works for him
because his hunger[e] urges him on.

27 A worthless man digs up evil,
and his speech is like a scorching fire.(G)

28 A contrary man spreads conflict,
and a gossip separates close friends.(H)

29 A violent man lures his neighbor,(I)
leading him in a way that is not good.(J)

30 The one who narrows his eyes is planning deceptions;
the one who compresses his lips brings about evil.(K)

31 Gray hair is a glorious crown;(L)
it is found in the way of righteousness.(M)

32 Patience is better than power,
and controlling one’s temper,[f] than capturing a city.(N)

33 The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.(O)

Matthew 15:1-9

The Tradition of the Elders

15 Then(A) Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked,(B) “Why do Your disciples(C) break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat!”[a](D)

He answered them, “And why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition? For God said:[b]

Honor your father and your mother;(E)[c] and,
The one who speaks evil of father or mother
must be put to death.(F)[d]

But you say, ‘Whoever tells his father or mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple”— he does not have to honor his father.’[e] In this way, you have revoked God’s word[f] because of your tradition. Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:

These people[g] honor Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.
They worship Me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commands of men.(G)[h]