Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Steadfast Love of God Endures
To the choirmaster. A Maskil[a] of David, when (A)Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”
52 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
2 Your (B)tongue plots destruction,
like (C)a sharp razor, you (D)worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good,
and (E)lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
4 You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue.
5 But God will break you down forever;
he will snatch and (F)tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from (G)the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous shall (H)see and fear,
and shall (I)laugh at him, saying,
7 “See the man who would not make
God his refuge,
but (J)trusted in the abundance of his riches
and sought refuge in his own destruction!”[b]
Pharaoh to Be Slain
31 (A)In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 (B)“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to (C)his multitude:
(D)“Whom are you like in your greatness?
3 Behold, (E)Assyria was a (F)cedar in (G)Lebanon,
with beautiful branches and (H)forest shade,
(I)and of towering height,
its top among the clouds.[a]
4 The waters nourished it;
the deep made it grow tall,
making (J)its rivers flow
around the place of its planting,
sending forth its streams
to all the trees of the field.
5 So (K)it towered high
above all the trees of the field;
its boughs grew large
and its branches long
from (L)abundant water in its shoots.
6 (M)All the birds of the heavens
made their nests in its boughs;
under its branches all the beasts of the field
gave birth to their young,
and under its shadow
lived all great nations.
7 It was (N)beautiful in its greatness,
in the length of its branches;
(O)for its roots went down
to abundant waters.
8 (P)The cedars (Q)in the garden of God could not rival it,
nor the fir trees equal its boughs;
neither were the plane trees
like its branches;
no tree (R)in the garden of God
was its equal in beauty.
9 I made it beautiful
in the mass of its branches,
and all the trees of (S)Eden envied it,
that were in the garden of God.
10 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because (T)it[b] towered high and set its top among the clouds,[c] and (U)its heart was proud of its height, 11 I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out. 12 (V)Foreigners, (W)the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down and left it. (X)On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs have been broken in all (Y)the ravines of the land, and (Z)all the peoples of the earth have gone away from its shadow and left it.
Final Warning and Benediction
11 See with what large letters I am writing to you (A)with my own hand. 12 (B)It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh (C)who would force you to be circumcised, and only (D)in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast (E)except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which[a] the world (F)has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For (G)neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but (H)a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, (I)peace and mercy be upon them, and upon (J)the Israel of God.
17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
18 (K)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be (L)with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.