Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 12
For the choir director; on the sheminith; a psalm by David.
1 Help, O Yahweh.
No godly person is left.
Faithful people have vanished from among Adam’s descendants!
2 All people speak foolishly.
They speak with flattering lips. They say one thing but mean another.
3 May Yahweh cut off every flattering lip
and every bragging tongue
4 that has said,
“We will overcome with our tongues.
With lips such as ours, who can be our master?”
5 “Because oppressed people are robbed and needy people groan,
I will now arise,” says Yahweh.
“I will provide safety for those who long for it.”
6 The promises of Yahweh are pure,
like silver refined in a furnace[a] and purified seven times.
7 O Yahweh, you will protect them.
You will keep each one safe from those people forever.
8 Wicked people parade around
when immorality increases among Adam’s descendants.
17 Better a bite of dry bread eaten in peace
than a family feast filled with strife.
2 A wise slave will become master over a son who acts shamefully,
and he will share the inheritance with the brothers.
3 The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold,
but the one who purifies hearts by fire is Yahweh.
4 An evildoer pays attention to wicked lips.
A liar opens his ears to a slanderous tongue.
5 Whoever makes fun of a poor person insults his maker.
Whoever is happy to see someone’s distress will not escape punishment.
Paul’s Work as an Apostle
19 Although I’m free from all people, I have made myself a slave for all people to win more of them. 20 I became Jewish for Jewish people. I became subject to the laws in Moses’ Teachings for those who are subject to those laws. I did this to win them even though I’m not subject to Moses’ Teachings. 21 I became like a person who does not have Moses’ Teachings for those who don’t have those teachings. I did this to win them even though I have God’s teachings. I’m really subject to Christ’s teachings. 22 I became like a person weak in faith to win those who are weak in faith. I have become everything to everyone in order to save at least some of them. 23 I do all this for the sake of the Good News in order to share what it offers.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.