Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 6

A Prayer for Mercy

For the choir director: with stringed instruments, according to Sheminith.^(A) A psalm of David.

³ Now four men with a skin disease^(A) were at the entrance to the city gate. They said to each other, “Why just sit here until we die? ⁴ If we say, ‘Let’s go into the city,’ we will die there because the famine is in the city, but if we sit here, we will also die. So now, come on. Let’s surrender to the Arameans’ camp.^(B) If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

⁵ So the diseased men got up at twilight to go to the Arameans’ camp. When they came to the camp’s edge, they discovered that no one was there, ⁶ for the Lord^[a] had caused the Aramean camp to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a large army.^(C) The Arameans had said to each other, “The king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites^(D) and the kings of Egypt^(E) to attack us.” ⁷ So they had gotten up and fled^(F) at twilight, abandoning their tents, horses, and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had fled for their lives.

⁸ When these diseased men came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they picked up the silver, gold, and clothing and went off and hid them. They came back and entered another tent, picked things up, and hid them.^{(G) 9} Then they said to each other, “We’re not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news.^(H) If we are silent and wait until morning light, our punishment will catch up with us. So let’s go tell the king’s household.”

¹⁰ The diseased men came and called to the city’s gatekeepers and told them, “We went to the Aramean camp and no one was there—no human sounds. There was nothing but tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents were intact.”

Warning against Idolatry

¹⁴ So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. ¹⁶ The cup^(A) of blessing^(B) that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread^(C) that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one bread, we who are many are one^(D) body, since all of us share the one bread. ¹⁸ Consider the people of Israel.^[a] Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?^{(E) 19} What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but I do say that what they^[b] sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons! ²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. ²² Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?^(F)

Christian Liberty

²³ “Everything is permissible,”^[c] but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,”^[d] but not everything builds up. ²⁴ No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.^(G)

²⁵ Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, without raising questions for the sake of conscience, ²⁶ since the earth is the Lord’s,^(H) and all that is in it.^{[e](I) 27} If any of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions for the sake of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This is food from a sacrifice,” do not eat it,^(J) out of consideration for the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience.^{[f] 29} I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged^(K) by another person’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thanksgiving,^(L) why am I criticized because of something for which I give thanks?

³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.^{(M) 32} Give no offense^(N) to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, ³³ just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many,^(O) so that they may be saved.

11 Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.^(P)