Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Let Us Go to the House of the Lord

A Song of ^(A)Ascents. Of David.

¹⁵ And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt ^(A)with a mighty hand, and ^(B)have made a name for yourself, as at this day, ^(C)we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

¹⁶ “O Lord, ^(D)according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, ^(E)your holy hill, ^(F)because for our sins, and for ^(G)the iniquities of our fathers, ^(H)Jerusalem and your people have become ^(I)a byword among all who are around us. ¹⁷ Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord,^{[a] (J)}make your face to shine upon ^(K)your sanctuary, which is desolate. ^18 (L)O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see ^(M)our desolations, and ^(N)the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. ^(O)Delay not, ^(P)for your own sake, O my God, because ^(Q)your city and ^(R)your people are called by your name.”

Warning Against Worldliness

4 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions^[a] are ^(A)at war within you?^{[b] 2} You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask ^(B)wrongly, to spend it on your passions. ^4 (C)You adulterous people!^[c] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? ^(D)Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit ^(E)that he has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But ^(F)he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ^(G)“God opposes the proud, but ^(H)gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. ^(I)Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ^8 (J)Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. ^(K)Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and ^(L)purify your hearts, ^(M)you double-minded. ^9 (N)Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ^10 (O)Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.