Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
For the director of music. A psalm of David to be played on flutes.
5 Lord, listen to my words.
Pay attention when I mourn.
2 My King and my God,
hear me when I cry for help.
I pray to you.
3 Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I pray to you.
I wait for you in hope.
4 For you, God, aren’t happy with anything that is evil.
Those who do what is wrong can’t live where you are.
5 Those who are proud can’t stand in front of you.
You hate everyone who does what is evil.
6 You destroy those who tell lies.
Lord, you hate murderers and those who cheat others.
7 Because of your great love
I can come into your house.
With deep respect I bow down
toward your holy temple.
8 Lord, I have many enemies.
Lead me in your right path.
Make your way smooth and straight for me.
9 Not a word from their mouths can be trusted.
Their hearts are filled with a desire to hurt others.
Their throats are like open graves.
With their tongues they tell lies.
10 God, show that they are guilty.
Let their evil plans bring them down.
Send them away because of their many sins.
They have refused to obey you.
11 But let all those who go to you for safety be glad.
Let them always sing for joy.
Spread your cover over them and keep them safe.
Then those who love you will be glad because of you.
12 Surely, Lord, you bless those who do what is right.
Like a shield, your loving care keeps them safe.
The Lord Will Take Care of Judah
10 People of Judah, ask the Lord
to send rain in the spring.
He is the one who sends the thunderstorms.
He sends down showers of rain on all people.
He gives everyone the plants in the fields.
2 Other gods tell lies.
Those who practice magic
see visions that aren’t true.
They tell dreams that fool people.
They give comfort that doesn’t do any good.
So the people wander around like sheep.
They are crushed because they don’t have a shepherd.
3 The Lord who rules over all says,
“I am very angry with the shepherds.
I will punish the leaders.
The Lord will take care of his flock.
They are the people of Judah.
He will make them like a proud horse in battle.
4 The most important building stone
will come from the tribe of Judah.
The tent stake will also come from it.
And the bow that is used in battle will come from it.
In fact, every ruler will come from it.
5 Together they will be like warriors in battle.
They will stomp their enemies
into the mud of the streets.
The Lord will be with them.
So they will fight against the horsemen
and put them to shame.
6 “I will make the family of Judah strong.
I will save the tribes of Joseph.
I will bring them back
because I have tender love for them.
It will be as if
I had not sent them away.
I am the Lord their God.
I will help them.
7 The people of Ephraim will become like warriors.
Their hearts will be glad
as if they were drinking wine.
Their children will see it
and be filled with joy.
I will make their hearts glad.
8 I will signal for my people to come,
and I will gather them in.
I will set them free.
There will be as many of them as before.
9 I have scattered them among the nations.
But in lands far away they will remember me.
They and their children will be kept alive.
And they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt.
I will gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon.
There will not be enough room for them.
11 They will pass through a sea of trouble.
The stormy sea will calm down.
All the deep places in the Nile River will dry up.
Assyria’s pride will be brought down.
Egypt’s right to rule will disappear.
12 I will make my people strong.
They will live in safety because of me,”
announces the Lord.
Do Not Cause People to Sin
6 “What if someone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? If they do, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and be drowned at the bottom of the sea. 7 How terrible it will be for the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Things like that must come. But how terrible for the person who causes them! 8 If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It would be better to enter the kingdom of heaven with only one hand than go into hell with two hands. It would be better to enter the kingdom of heaven with only one foot than go into hell with two feet. In hell the fire burns forever. 9 If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. It would be better to enter the kingdom of heaven with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
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