Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Book I
Psalms 1–41
1 Blessed is the person who obeys the law of the Lord.
They don’t follow the advice of evil people.
They don’t make a habit of doing what sinners do.
They don’t join those who make fun of the Lord and his law.
2 Instead, the law of the Lord gives them joy.
They think about his law day and night.
3 That kind of person is like a tree that is planted near a stream of water.
It always bears its fruit at the right time.
Its leaves don’t dry up.
Everything godly people do turns out well.
4 Sinful people are not like that at all.
They are like straw
that the wind blows away.
5 When the Lord judges them, their life will come to an end.
Sinners won’t have any place among those who are godly.
6 The Lord watches over the lives of godly people.
But the lives of sinful people will lead to their death.
17 “Judah’s sin is carved with an iron tool.
It is written with the flint point of the tool.
It is carved on the tablets of their hearts.
It is written on the horns that stick out
from the corners of their altars.
2 Even their children offer sacrifices
to other gods on those altars.
They use the poles that were made
to worship the female god named Asherah.
They worship strange gods beside the green trees
and on the high hills.
3 I will give away my holy Mount Zion to the Babylonians.
Your enemies will carry off your wealth
and all your treasures.
I will give away your high places.
That will happen because you have sinned.
You have done it throughout your country.
4 You will lose the land I gave you.
And it will be your own fault.
I will make you slaves to your enemies.
You will serve them in a land you didn’t know about before.
You have set my anger on fire.
It will burn forever.”
24 “What happens when an evil spirit comes out of a person? It goes through dry areas looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives there, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then the evil spirit goes and takes seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and live there. That person is worse off than before.”
27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out. She shouted, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
28 He replied, “Instead, blessed are those who hear God’s word and obey it.”
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