Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 37
Do Not Fret Because of Evildoers
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By David.
Do Not Be Frustrated by the Wicked
1 Do not fret because of evildoers.
Do not be envious of those who do wrong,
2 for like grass they will wither quickly.
Like green plants they will wilt.
Trust in God’s Goodness
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good.
Dwell in the land and feed on faithfulness.[a]
4 Take pleasure in the Lord,
and he will grant your heart’s desires.
5 Commit your way to the Lord.
Trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your righteousness shine like light,
your justice like noon.
7 Be silent before the Lord. Wait patiently for him.
Do not fret when an evil man succeeds in his ways,
when he carries out his wicked schemes.
Consider the Final Destiny of the Wicked
8 Let go of anger and abandon rage.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For evildoers will be cut off,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the earth.
10 After a little while the wicked will be no more.
When you search for them at their place, they are not there.
11 But the meek[b] will inherit the earth.
They will enjoy plenty of peace.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord.
He is their stronghold in times of stress.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them.
He delivers them from the wicked.
He saves them, because they have taken refuge in him.
44 Joseph commanded the manager of his house, “Fill the men’s bags with food, as much as they can carry. Put each man’s money into the mouth of his bag. 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, into the mouth of the bag of the youngest, along with his money for the grain.” The manager did exactly what Joseph told him to do.
3 As soon as it became light in the morning, the men were sent on their way, with their donkeys. 4 When they had left the city and still were not very far away, Joseph said to his manager, “Get up. Pursue those men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Isn’t this the cup that my lord drinks from and that he uses for divination? By doing this you have done evil.’” 6 The steward caught up to them and spoke those words to them.
7 They replied to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Your servants would never do such a thing! 8 That money, which we found in the mouths of our bags—we brought it back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house? 9 If your cup is found with any of your servants, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
10 He said, “Fine, it will be just as you have said. If it is found with anyone, he will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless.”
11 Then each man quickly lowered his bag to the ground, and each man opened his bag. 12 The manager searched, beginning with the oldest and finishing with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag. 13 Then they tore their clothing, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing? Didn’t you know that a man like me can discover things by divination?”
16 Judah said, “What can we tell my lord? What can we say? How can we clear ourselves? God has exposed the guilt of your servants. Here we are. We are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose hand the cup was found.”
17 Joseph said, “I would never do that. The man in whose hand the cup was found will be my slave, but as for the rest of you, go up in peace to your father.”
12 I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven because of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the Evil One.
14 I have written to you, little children,
because you have known the Father.
I have written to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God remains in you,
and you have overcome the Evil One.
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, boasting about material possessions—is not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.