Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
140 (A)Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from (B)violent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart
and (C)stir up wars continually.
3 They make (D)their tongue sharp as (E)a serpent's,
and (F)under their lips is the (G)venom of asps. Selah
4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from (H)violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have (I)hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread (J)a net;[a]
beside the way they have set (K)snares for me. Selah
6 (L)I say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to (M)the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7 O Lord, my Lord, (N)the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 (O)Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their[b] evil plot, or (P)they will be exalted! Selah
16 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, (A)filling you with vain hopes. (B)They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. 17 They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, (C)‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who (D)stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, (E)‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”
18 For (F)who among them has stood in the council of the Lord
to see and to hear his word,
or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
19 (G)Behold, the storm of the Lord!
Wrath has gone forth,
(H)a whirling tempest;
it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
20 (I)The anger of the Lord will not turn back
until he has executed and (J)accomplished
the intents of his heart.
(K)In the latter days you will understand it clearly.
Persecution Will Come
16 (A)“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be (B)wise as serpents and (C)innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for (D)they will deliver you over to courts and flog you (E)in their synagogues, 18 (F)and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, (G)to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 (H)When (I)they deliver you over, (J)do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for (K)what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 (L)For it is not you who speak, but (M)the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 (N)Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 (O)and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. (P)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they (Q)persecute you in one town, (R)flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel (S)before the Son of Man comes.
24 (T)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant[a] above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. (U)If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign[b] those of his household.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.