Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
For the director of music. A maskil of David when Doeg, who was from Edom, had gone to Saul. Doeg had told Saul, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
52 You think you are such a big, strong man!
Why do you brag about the evil things you’ve done?
You are a dishonor to God all the time.
2 You plan ways to destroy others.
Your tongue is like a blade that has a sharp edge.
You are always telling lies.
3 You love evil instead of good.
You would rather lie than tell the truth.
4 You love to harm others with your words, you liar!
5 So God will destroy you forever.
He will grab you and pluck you from your tent.
He will remove you from this life.
6 Those who do what is right will see it and learn a lesson from it.
They will laugh at you and say,
7 “Just look at this fellow!
He didn’t depend on God for his safety.
He put his trust in all his wealth.
He grew strong by destroying others!”
8 But I am like a healthy olive tree.
My roots are deep in the house of God.
I trust in your faithful love
for ever and ever.
9 I will praise you forever for what you have done.
I will praise you when I’m with your faithful people.
I will put my hope in you because you are good.
12 But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding live?
13 No human being understands how much it’s worth.
It can’t be found anywhere in the world.
14 The ocean says, “It’s not in me.”
The sea says, “It’s not here either.”
15 It can’t be bought with the finest gold.
Its price can’t be weighed out in silver.
16 It can’t be bought with gold from Ophir.
It can’t be bought with priceless onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Gold or crystal can’t compare with it.
It can’t be bought with jewels made of gold.
18 Don’t bother to talk about coral and jasper.
Wisdom is worth far more than rubies.
19 A topaz from Cush can’t compare with it.
It can’t be bought with the purest gold.
20 So where does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding live?
21 It’s hidden from the eyes of every living thing.
Even the birds in the sky can’t find it.
22 Death and the Grave say,
“Only reports about it have reached our ears.”
23 But God understands the way to it.
He is the only one who knows where it lives.
24 He sees from one end of the earth to the other.
He views everything in the world.
25 He made the mighty wind.
He measured out the waters.
26 He gave orders for the rain to fall.
He made paths for the thunderstorms.
27 Then he looked at wisdom and set its price.
He established it and tested it.
28 He said to human beings,
“Have respect for the Lord. That will prove you are wise.
Avoid evil. That will show you have understanding.”
The Large and Small Gates
13 “Enter God’s kingdom through the narrow gate. The gate is large and the road is wide that leads to ruin. Many people go that way. 14 But the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to life. Only a few people find it.
True and False Prophets
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you pretending to be sheep. But on the inside they are hungry wolves. 16 You can tell each tree by its fruit. Do people pick grapes from bushes? Do they pick figs from thorns? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit. But a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t bear bad fruit. And a bad tree can’t bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down. It is thrown into the fire. 20 You can tell each tree by its fruit.
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