Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate;
he is patient[a] and demonstrates great loyal love.[b]
9 The Lord is good to all,
and has compassion on all he has made.[c]
10 All your works will give thanks to you, Lord.
Your loyal followers will praise you.
11 They will proclaim the splendor of your kingdom;
they will tell about your power,
12 so that mankind[d] might acknowledge your mighty acts,
and the majestic splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom,[e]
and your dominion endures through all generations.
14 [f] The Lord supports all who fall,
and lifts up all who are bent over.[g]
6 “You there![a] Flee from the northland!” says the Lord, “for like the four winds of heaven[b] I have scattered you,” says the Lord. 7 “Escape, Zion, you who live among the Babylonians!”[c] 8 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “For his own glory[d] he has sent me to the nations that plundered you—for anyone who touches you touches the pupil[e] of his[f] eye. 9 Yes, look here, I am about to punish them[g] so that they will be looted by their own slaves.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.
10 “Sing out and be happy, Zion my daughter![h] For look, I have come; I will settle in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on the day of salvation,[i] and they will also be my[j] people. Indeed, I will settle in the midst of you all. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will take possession of[k] Judah as his portion in the holy land and he will choose Jerusalem once again. 13 Be silent in the Lord’s presence, all people everywhere,[l] for he is being moved to action in his holy dwelling place.”[m]
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I[a] would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else[b] if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”[c] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires.[d] For apart from the law, sin is dead. 9 And I was once alive apart from the law, but with the coming of the commandment sin became alive 10 and I died. So[e] I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life brought death![f] 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it I died.[g] 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, so that it would be shown to be sin, produced death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual—but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.[h] 15 For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate.[i] 16 But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good.[j] 17 But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it.[k] 19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.
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