Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 141
Protection from Sin and Sinners
A Davidic psalm.
1 Lord, I call on You; hurry to help me.
Listen to my voice when I call on You.(A)
2 May my prayer be set before You as incense,(B)
the raising of my hands as the evening offering.(C)
3 Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.(D)
4 Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing
or perform wicked acts
with men who commit sin.
Do not let me feast on their delicacies.(E)
5 Let the righteous one strike me—
it is an act of faithful love;
let him rebuke me—
it is oil for my head;
let me[a] not refuse it.(F)
Even now my prayer is against
the evil acts of the wicked.[b](G)
6 When their rulers[c] will be thrown off
the sides of a cliff,
the people[d] will listen to my words,
for they are pleasing.(H)
Promise of Israel’s Restoration
14 The word of the Lord came to me again: 15 “Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem you,[a][b] and the entire house of Israel, all of them, are those that the residents of Jerusalem have said this to, ‘Stay away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’
16 “Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: Though I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them(A) in the countries where they have gone.
17 “Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the peoples(B) and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18 “When they arrive there, they will remove all its(C) detestable things(D) and practices from it. 19 And I will give them one heart(E) and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone(F) from their bodies[c] and give them a heart of flesh,(G) 20 so they may follow My statutes,(H) keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.(I) 21 But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for detestable things and practices, I will bring their actions down on their own heads.”(J) This is the declaration of the Lord God.
God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem
22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, lifted their wings,(K) and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23 The glory of the Lord(L) rose up from within the city and stood on the mountain(M) east of the city.[d](N) 24 The Spirit lifted me up(O) and brought me to Chaldea and to the exiles in a vision from the Spirit of God. After the vision I had seen left me, 25 I spoke to the exiles about all the things the Lord had shown me.
25 Since you put away(A) lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor,(B)[a] because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin.(C)[b] Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don’t give the Devil an opportunity. 28 The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share(D) with anyone in need. 29 No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need,[c] so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit.(E) You were sealed by Him[d] for the day of redemption.(F) 31 All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind(G) and compassionate(H) to one another, forgiving(I) one another, just as God also forgave you[e] in Christ.
5 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. 2 And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us,(J) a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
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