Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Prayer of Faith in Troubled Times
For the director of music. A song of David.
31 Lord, I trust in you.
Let me never be disgraced.
Save me because you do what is right.
2 Listen to me.
Save me quickly.
Be my rock of protection,
a strong city to save me.
3 You are my rock and my protection.
For the good of your name, lead me and guide me.
4 Set me free from the trap they set for me.
You are my protection.
5 I give you my life.
Save me, Lord, God of truth.
19 How great is your goodness!
You have stored it up for those who fear you.
You do good things for those who trust you.
You do this for all to see.
20 You protect them by your presence
from what people plan against them.
You keep them safe in your shelter
from evil words.
21 Praise the Lord.
His love to me was wonderful
when my city was attacked.
22 In my distress, I said,
“God cannot see me!”
But you heard my prayer
when I cried out to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you who belong to him.
The Lord protects those who truly believe.
But he punishes the proud as much as they have sinned.
24 All you who put your hope in the Lord
be strong and brave.
Israel Is Punished
6 This is what the Lord says:
“For the many crimes Israel is doing,
I will punish them.
For silver they sell people who have done nothing wrong.
They sell poor people for the price of a pair of sandals.
7 They walk on poor people
as if they were dirt.
They refuse to be fair to those who are suffering.
Fathers and sons have physical relations with the same woman.
By doing this they ruin my holy name.
8 As they worship at their altars,
they lie down on clothes taken from poor people.
They make people pay money as punishment.
With that money they buy wine to drink in the house of their god.
9 “But it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them.
The Amorites were tall like cedar trees and as strong as oaks.
But I destroyed them completely.
10 It was I who brought you from the land of Egypt.
For 40 years I led you through the desert.
I led you so I could give you the land of the Amorites.
11 I made some of your sons to be prophets.
I made some of your young men to be Nazirites.
People of Israel, isn’t this true?” says the Lord.
Be Careful About Judging Others
7 “Don’t judge other people, and you will not be judged. 2 You will be judged in the same way that you judge others. And the forgiveness you give to others will be given to you.
3 “Why do you notice the little piece of dust that is in your brother’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own eye? 4 Why do you say to your brother, ‘Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. 5 You are a hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly enough to take the dust out of your brother’s eye.
6 “Don’t give holy things to dogs. Don’t throw your pearls before pigs. Pigs will only trample on them. And the dogs will only turn to attack you.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.