Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Book One
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
1 Blessed is the man[a]
who (A)walks not in (B)the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in (C)the way of sinners,
nor (D)sits in (E)the seat of (F)scoffers;
2 but his (G)delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,
and on his (H)law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like (I)a tree
planted by (J)streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its (K)leaf does not wither.
(L)In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like (M)chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked (N)will not stand in the judgement,
nor sinners in (O)the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord (P)knows (Q)the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
12 (A)“And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you (B)the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. 13 He will (C)love you, bless you, and multiply you. (D)He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. 14 You shall be blessed above all peoples. (E)There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your livestock. 15 And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil (F)diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you. 16 And (G)you shall consume all the peoples that the Lord your God will give over to you. (H)Your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be (I)a snare to you.
17 “If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’ 18 (J)you shall not be afraid of them but you shall (K)remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, 19 the great trials that your eyes saw, (L)the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So will the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20 Moreover, (M)the Lord your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed. 21 You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is (N)in your midst, (O)a great and awesome God. 22 (P)The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once,[a] lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. 23 (Q)But the Lord your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed. 24 And (R)he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall (S)make their name perish from under heaven. (T)No one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them. 25 The carved images of their gods (U)you shall burn with fire. You (V)shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be (W)ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. 26 And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction[b] like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, (X)for it is devoted to destruction.
Final Greetings
7 Tychicus will tell you (A)all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant[a] in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him (B)Onesimus, our faithful and (C)beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.
10 (D)Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark (E)the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—(F)if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called (G)Justus. (H)These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and (I)they have been a comfort to me. 12 (J)Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always (K)struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand (L)mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 (M)Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does (N)Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers[b] at Laodicea, and to Nympha and (O)the church in her house. 16 And when (P)this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to (Q)Archippus, “See that you fulfil (R)the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.