Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
ט Teth
65 Lord, be good to me
as you have promised.
66 Increase my knowledge and give me good sense,
because I trust your commands.
67 Before I went through suffering, I went down the wrong path.
But now I obey your word.
68 You are good, and what you do is good.
Teach me your orders.
69 The lies of proud people have taken away my good name.
But I follow your rules with all my heart.
70 Their unfeeling hearts are hard and stubborn.
But I take delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to suffer.
That’s what helped me to understand your orders.
72 The law you gave is worth more to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
12 The Lord who rules over all has set apart a day when he will judge.
He has set it apart for all those who are proud and think they are important.
He has set it apart for all those who brag about themselves.
All of them will be brought low.
13 The Lord has set that day apart for all the cedar trees in Lebanon.
They are very tall.
He has set that day apart for all the oak trees in Bashan.
14 He has set it apart for all the towering mountains.
He has set it apart for all the high hills.
15 He has set it apart for every high tower
and every strong wall.
16 He has set it apart for every trading ship
and every beautiful boat.
17 Anyone who brags will be brought low.
Anyone who is proud will be made humble.
The Lord alone will be honored at that time.
1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I serve God, and I am an apostle of Jesus Christ. God sent me to help his chosen people believe in Christ more and more. God sent me to help them understand even more the truth that leads to godly living. 2 That belief and understanding lead to the hope of eternal life. Before time began, God promised to give that life. And he does not lie. 3 Now, at just the right time, he has made his promise clear. He did this through the preaching that he trusted me with. God our Savior has commanded all these things.
4 Titus, I am sending you this letter. You are my true son in the faith we share.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.
Choosing Elders Who Love What Is Good
5 I left you on the island of Crete. I did this because there were some things that hadn’t been finished. I wanted you to put them in order. I also wanted you to appoint elders in every town. I told you how to do it. 6 An elder must be without blame. He must be faithful to his wife. His children must be believers. They must not give anyone a reason to say that they are wild and don’t obey. 7 A church leader takes care of God’s family. That’s why he must be without blame. He must not look after only his own interests. He must not get angry easily. He must not get drunk. He must not push people around. He must not try to get money by cheating people. 8 Instead, a church leader must welcome people into his home. He must love what is good. He must control his mind and feelings. He must do what is right. He must be holy. He must control the desires of his body. 9 The message as it has been taught can be trusted. He must hold firmly to it. Then he will be able to use true teaching to comfort others and build them up. He will be able to prove that people who oppose it are wrong.
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