Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
19 they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.[a]
20 [b]But you, O Lord, do not remain aloof from me.
O my Strength, come quickly to my aid.
21 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the grasp of the dogs.
22 Save me[c] from the lion’s mouth
and from the horns of wild oxen.
23 [d]I will proclaim your name to my family;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:[e]
24 “You who fear the Lord, praise him.
All you descendants of Jacob,[f] give him glory.
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel.
25 For he has not scorned or disregarded
the wretched man in his suffering;
he has not hidden his face[g] from him
but has heeded his call for help.”
26 I will offer my praise to you in the great assembly;
in the presence of those who fear him, I will fulfill my vows.[h]
27 [i]The poor[j] will eat and be filled;
those who seek the Lord will praise him:
“May your hearts live forever.”
28 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord.
All the families of the nations
will bow low before him.
Wicked Rulers
9 All you wild beasts of the fields and of the forest,
come forth and gorge yourselves.
10 Israel’s watchmen are all blind;
they perceive absolutely nothing.
They are all dumb watchdogs
that are unable to bark,
dreaming as they lie there,
loving the opportunity to sleep.
11 The dogs have a ravenous appetite;
meanwhile the shepherds are never satisfied.
They comprehend nothing;
each of them goes his own way,
all of them interested solely in their own gain.
12 “Come,” says each one, “I will fetch some wine,
and we will fill ourselves with strong drink.
And tomorrow will be like today,
or perhaps even better.”
17 [a]You call yourself a Jew and rely on the Law and are proud of your relationship to God, 18 and you know his will and are able to distinguish between right and wrong because you have been instructed in the Law, 19 and you are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light for those in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, and a teacher of the simple because in the Law you have the embodiment of knowledge and truth.
21 You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, are you yourself a thief? 22 You who forbid adultery, are you yourself an adulterer? You who abhor idols, do you commit sacrilege? 23 You who boast of the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking it? 24 As it is written, “Because of you the name of God is reviled among the Gentiles.”
25 Circumcision and the Heart.[b] Circumcision has value if you obey the Law. However, if you break the Law, you have become as if you had never been circumcised. 26 In the same way, if one who is not circumcised keeps the precepts of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then the man who is not physically circumcised but nevertheless observes the Law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the Law.
28 A man is not a Jew who is only one outwardly, nor is true circumcision external and physical. 29 Rather, the Jew is one who is a Jew inwardly, and true circumcision is of the heart—spiritual, not literal. He receives his praise not from human beings but from God.
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