Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 6^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.^[b] A psalm of David.

The Siege Lifted

³ Now there were four men with leprosy^[a](A) at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? ⁴ If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

⁵ At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, ⁶ for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound^(B) of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired^(C) the Hittite^(D) and Egyptian kings to attack us!” ⁷ So they got up and fled^(E) in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

⁸ The men who had leprosy^(F) reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.

⁹ Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

¹⁰ So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a sound of anyone—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.”

Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper

¹⁴ Therefore, my dear friends,^(A) flee from idolatry.^{(B) 15} I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶ Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break^(C) a participation in the body of Christ?^{(D) 17} Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,^(E) for we all share the one loaf.

¹⁸ Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices^(F) participate in the altar? ¹⁹ Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?^{(G) 20} No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons,^(H) not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. ²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.^{(I) 22} Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy?^(J) Are we stronger than he?^(K)

The Believer’s Freedom

²³ “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.^(L) “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. ²⁴ No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.^(M)

²⁵ Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,^{(N) 26} for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”^[a](O)

²⁷ If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you^(P) without raising questions of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.^{(Q) 29} I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom^(R) being judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰ If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?^(S)

³¹ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.^{(T) 32} Do not cause anyone to stumble,^(U) whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God^(V)— ³³ even as I try to please everyone in every way.^(W) For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many,^(X) so that they may be saved.^(Y) 11 ¹ Follow my example,^(Z) as I follow the example of Christ.^(AA)