Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
For the director of music. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
12 Help, Lord! No one does what is right anymore.
Those who are faithful have disappeared from the human race.
2 Everyone tells lies to their neighbors.
With their lips they praise others, but they don’t really mean it.
3 May the Lord close all lips that don’t mean what they say.
May he stop every tongue that brags.
4 They say, “What we speak with our tongues will win the battle.
What we say with our lips will keep us safe. No one will have victory over us.”
5 The Lord says, “The poor are being robbed.
Those who are in need groan.
So I will stand up to help them.
I will keep them safe from those who tell lies about them.”
6 The words of the Lord are perfect.
They are like silver made pure in a clay furnace.
They are like gold made pure seven times over.
7 Lord, you will keep needy people safe.
You will always keep sinners from hurting us.
8 Proud and sinful people walk around openly
when the evil they do is praised by the human race.
17 It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace and quiet
than to eat a big dinner in a house full of fighting.
2 A wise servant will rule over a shameful child.
He will be given part of the property as if he were a family member.
3 Fire tests silver, and heat tests gold.
But the Lord tests our hearts.
4 Evil people listen to lies.
Lying people listen to evil.
5 Anyone who laughs at those who are poor makes fun of their Maker.
Anyone who is happy when others suffer will be punished.
Paul Uses His Freedom to Share the Good News
19 I am free and don’t belong to anyone. But I have made myself a slave to everyone. I do it to win as many as I can to Christ. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew. That was to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one who was under the law. I did this even though I myself am not under the law. That was to win those under the law. 21 To those who don’t have the law I became like one who doesn’t have the law. I did this even though I am not free from God’s law. I am under Christ’s law. Now I can win those who don’t have the law. 22 To those who are weak I became weak. That was to win the weak. I have become all things to all people. I have done this so that in all possible ways I might save some. 23 I do all this because of the good news. And I want to share in its blessings.
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