Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 113
Praise the Lord, you his servants;(B)
praise the name of the Lord.
2 Let the name of the Lord be praised,(C)
both now and forevermore.(D)
3 From the rising of the sun(E) to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is exalted(F) over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.(G)
5 Who is like the Lord our God,(H)
the One who sits enthroned(I) on high,(J)
6 who stoops down to look(K)
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor(L) from the dust
and lifts the needy(M) from the ash heap;
8 he seats them(N) with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He settles the childless(O) woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord.
Laws of Justice and Mercy
23 “Do not spread false reports.(A) Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.(B)
2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice(C) by siding with the crowd,(D) 3 and do not show favoritism(E) to a poor person in a lawsuit.
4 “If you come across your enemy’s(F) ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.(G) 5 If you see the donkey(H) of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.
6 “Do not deny justice(I) to your poor people in their lawsuits. 7 Have nothing to do with a false charge(J) and do not put an innocent(K) or honest person to death,(L) for I will not acquit the guilty.(M)
8 “Do not accept a bribe,(N) for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.
9 “Do not oppress a foreigner;(O) you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.
God’s Faithfulness
3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way!(A) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.(B)
3 What if some were unfaithful?(C) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?(D) 4 Not at all! Let God be true,(E) and every human being a liar.(F) As it is written:
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,(H) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)(I) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?(J) 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,(K) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”(L) 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?(M) Their condemnation is just!
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.