Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 141[a]
Prayer for Deliverance from the Wicked
1 A psalm of David.
Lord, I call to you; hasten to me;
listen to my plea when I call.
2 Let my prayer be incense[b] before you;
my uplifted hands an evening offering.(A)
3 Set a guard, Lord, before my mouth,
keep watch over the door of my lips.(B)
4 Do not let my heart incline to evil,
to perform deeds in wickedness.
On the delicacies of evildoers
let me not feast.
5 [c]Let a righteous person strike me; it is mercy if he reproves me.
Do not withhold oil from my head(C)
while my prayer opposes their evil deeds.
6 May their leaders be cast over the cliff,
so that they hear that my speeches are pleasing.
7 Like the plowing and breaking up of the earth,
our bones are strewn at the mouth of Sheol.
8 For my eyes are upon you, O Lord, my Lord;(D)
in you I take refuge; do not take away my soul.
9 Guard me from the trap they have set for me,
from the snares of evildoers.(E)
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while only I pass over them safely.
Restoration for the Exiles. 14 The word of the Lord came to me: 15 [a]Son of man, the inhabitants of Jerusalem are saying about all your relatives, the other exiles, and all the house of Israel, “They are far away from the Lord. The land is given to us as a possession.”(A) 16 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord God: I have indeed sent them far away among the nations, scattered them over the lands, and have been but little sanctuary for them in the lands to which they have gone. 17 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, I will gather you from the nations and collect you from the lands through which you were scattered, so I can give you the land of Israel.(B) 18 They will enter it and remove all its atrocities and abominations. 19 (C)And I will give them another heart and a new spirit I will put within them. From their bodies I will remove the hearts of stone, and give them hearts of flesh, 20 so that they walk according to my statutes, taking care to keep my ordinances. Thus they will be my people, and I will be their God.(D) 21 But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their atrocities and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their heads—oracle of the Lord God.
22 Then the cherubim lifted their wings and the wheels alongside them, with the glory of the God of Israel above them.(E) 23 [b]The glory of the Lord rose up from the middle of the city and came to rest on the mountain east of the city.(F) 24 In a vision, the spirit lifted me up and brought me back to the exiles in Chaldea, by the spirit of God. The vision I had seen left me,(G) 25 and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.(H)
IV. Daily Conduct, an Expression of Unity[a]
Rules for the New Life. 25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, for we are members one of another.(A) 26 Be angry but do not sin;(B) do not let the sun set on your anger,[b] 27 and do not leave room for the devil.(C) 28 The thief must no longer steal, but rather labor, doing honest work[c] with his [own] hands, so that he may have something to share with one in need.(D) 29 No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear.(E) 30 And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.[d] 31 All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice.(F) 32 [And] be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.(G)
Chapter 5
1 So be imitators of God,[e] as beloved children,(H) 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.(I)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.