Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 1

The Two Ways

¹² “If you listen to and are careful to keep these ordinances, the Lord your God will keep his covenant loyalty with you, as he swore to your ancestors.^{(A) 13} He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will bless your offspring,^[a](B) and the produce of your land—your grain, new wine, and fresh oil—the young of your herds, and the newborn of your flocks, in the land he swore to your ancestors that he would give you. ¹⁴ You will be blessed above all peoples; there will be no infertile male or female among you or your livestock. ¹⁵ The Lord will remove all sickness from you; he will not put on you^(C) all the terrible diseases of Egypt that you know about, but he will inflict them on all who hate you. ¹⁶ You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God is delivering over to you and not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.

¹⁷ “If you say to yourself, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I drive them out?’ ¹⁸ do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt: ¹⁹ the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, the strong hand and outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you fear. ²⁰ The Lord your God will also send hornets against them until all the survivors and those hiding from you perish.^{(D) 21} Don’t be terrified of them, for the Lord your God, a great and awesome God, is among you. ²² The Lord your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be able to destroy them all at once; otherwise, the wild animals will become too numerous for you.^{(E) 23} The Lord your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed. ²⁴ He will hand their kings over to you, and you will wipe out their names under heaven. No one will be able to stand against you; you will annihilate them. ²⁵ Burn up the carved images of their gods. Don’t covet the silver and gold on the images and take it for yourself, or else you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. ²⁶ Do not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you will be set apart for destruction like it. You are to abhor and detest it utterly because it is set apart for destruction.

Final Greetings

⁷ Tychicus,^(A) our dearly loved brother, faithful^(B) minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ⁸ I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are^[a] and so that he may encourage^(C) your hearts.^{(D) 9} He is coming with Onesimus,^(E) a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.

¹⁰ Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark,^(F) Barnabas’s^(G) cousin (concerning whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), ¹¹ and so does Jesus who is called Justus. These alone of the circumcised are my coworkers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. ¹² Epaphras,^(H) who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling^(I) for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured^[b] in everything God wills.^{(J) 13} For I testify about him that he works hard^[c](K) for you, for those in Laodicea,^(L) and for those in Hierapolis. ¹⁴ Luke, the dearly loved physician, and Demas^(M) send you greetings. ¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her home.^{(N) 16} After this letter has been read at your gathering, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. ¹⁷ And tell Archippus,^(O) “Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it.”^(P)