Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
ב (Bet)
9 How can a young person[a] maintain a pure life?[b]
By guarding it according to your instructions.[c]
10 With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands.
11 In my heart I store up[d] your words,[e]
so I might not sin against you.
12 You deserve praise,[f] O Lord.
Teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed.[g]
14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules[h]
as if[i] they were riches of all kinds.[j]
15 I will meditate on[k] your precepts
and focus on[l] your behavior.[m]
16 I find delight[n] in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions.[o]
Benefits of Seeking Wisdom[a]
2 My child,[b] if[c] you receive my words,
and store up[d] my commands inside yourself,[e]
2 by making[f] your ear[g] attentive to wisdom,
and[h] by turning[i] your heart[j] to understanding,
3 indeed, if[k] you call out for discernment[l]—
shout loudly[m] for understanding—
4 if[n] you seek[o] it like silver,[p]
and search for it[q] like hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand[r] how to fear the Lord,[s]
and you will discover[t] knowledge[u] about God.[v]
6 For[w] the Lord gives[x] wisdom,
and from his mouth[y] comes[z] knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up[aa] effective counsel[ab] for the upright,[ac]
and is like[ad] a shield[ae] for those who live[af] with integrity,[ag]
8 to guard[ah] the paths of the righteous[ai]
and to protect[aj] the way of his pious ones.[ak]
9 Then you will understand[al] righteousness and justice
and equity—every[am] good[an] way.[ao]
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,[ap]
and moral knowledge[aq] will be attractive[ar] to you.[as]
11 Discretion[at] will protect you,[au]
understanding will guard you,
12 to deliver[av] you from the way of the wicked,[aw]
from those[ax] speaking perversity,[ay]
13 who leave[az] the upright[ba] paths
to walk on the dark[bb] ways,
14 who delight[bc] in doing[bd] evil,[be]
they rejoice in perverse evil;[bf]
15 whose paths[bg] are morally crooked,[bh]
and who are devious[bi] in their ways;
Questions About Divorce
19 Now when[a] Jesus finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan River.[b] 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 Then some Pharisees[c] came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful[d] to divorce a wife for any cause?”[e] 4 He answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female,[f] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?[g] 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?”[h] 8 Jesus[i] said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts,[j] but from the beginning it was not this way. 9 Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery.” 10 The[k] disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” 11 He[l] said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth,[m] and some who were made eunuchs[n] by others,[o] and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”
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