Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

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²¹ Don’t mistreat or oppress an immigrant, because you were once immigrants in the land of Egypt. ²² Don’t treat any widow or orphan badly. ²³ If you do treat them badly and they cry out to me, you can be sure that I’ll hear their cry. ²⁴ I’ll be furious, and I’ll kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows, and your children will be orphans.

²⁵ If you lend money to my people who are poor among you, don’t be a creditor and charge them interest. ²⁶ If you take a piece of clothing from someone as a security deposit, you should return it before the sun goes down. ²⁷ His clothing may well be his only blanket to cover himself. What else will that person have to sleep in? And if he cries out to me, I’ll listen, because I’m compassionate.

²³ Everything is permitted, but everything isn’t beneficial. Everything is permitted, but everything doesn’t build others up. ²⁴ No one should look out for their own advantage, but they should look out for each other. ²⁵ Eat everything that is sold in the marketplace, without asking questions about it because of your conscience. ²⁶ The earth and all that is in it belong to the Lord.^{[a] 27} If an unbeliever invites you to eat with them and you want to go, eat whatever is served, without asking questions because of your conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This meat was sacrificed in a temple,” then don’t eat it for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. ²⁹ Now when I say “conscience” I don’t mean yours but the other person’s. Why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? ³⁰ If I participate with gratitude, why should I be blamed for food I thank God for? ³¹ So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you should do it all for God’s glory. ³² Don’t offend either Jews or Greeks, or God’s church. ³³ This is the same thing that I do. I please everyone in everything I do. I don’t look out for my own advantage, but I look out for many people so that they can be saved. 11 ¹ Follow my example, just like I follow Christ’s.