Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
121 [a]Since my conduct has been just and upright,
do not abandon me to those who oppress me.
122 Guarantee the well-being of your servant;[b]
do not allow the arrogant to oppress me.
123 My eyes fail[c] as I long for your salvation
and for the promise of your justice.
124 Deal with your servant in accordance with your kindness,[d]
and teach me your decrees.
125 I am your servant; grant me discernment
so that I may understand your statutes.
126 It is time, O Lord, for you to take action;
your law has been broken.
127 That is why I love your precepts
more than gold, even the purest gold.[e]
128 That is why I regard all your commandments as right
and despise every way that is false.
Pe
Preface of the Redactor[a]
Chapter 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon,[b] the son of David king of Israel:
2 Designed to enable people to appreciate wisdom[c] and discipline
and to comprehend words that foster insight,
3 to acquire instruction in upright conduct,
righteousness, justice, and honesty,
4 so that prudence[d] may be imparted to the simple,
and the young may gain knowledge and discretion.
5 By listening to them the wise will add to their learning,
and those gifted with discernment will increase their ability
6 to perceive the meaning of proverbs and obscure sayings,
the words of the sages and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord[e] is the beginning of knowledge;
fools are those who despise wisdom and instruction.
Wisdom Cries Out Her Message in the Street[a]
20 Wisdom cries out in the street;
she raises her voice in the public squares.
21 She calls out on the crowded street corners;
at the city gates she proclaims her message:
22 “How long will you simple people continue to be fools?
How long will you mockers[b] delight in your mocking?
How long will you fools continue to hate knowledge?
23 If you would seriously consider my reproof,
I would pour out my thoughts to you
and make my precepts known to you.
24 “However, because you refused to listen to my call,
because no one heeded when I stretched out my hand,
25 and because you rejected all my counsel
and ignored all my warnings,
26 [c]I in my turn will laugh at your distress
and mock you when panic overwhelms you,
27 when terror suddenly strikes you like a hurricane
and your doom approaches like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will cry out to me but I will not answer;
they will search for me, but not find me.[d]
29 For they hated knowledge
and chose not to fear the Lord.[e]
30 They refused to accept my advice
and spurned all my warnings.
31 “Now they must eat the fruits of their conduct
and be glutted with the results of their schemes.[f]
32 For the stubbornness of the simple kills them;
fools come to final ruin by their own complacency.
33 But whoever listens to me will be secure
and live in peace, without fear of disaster.”
30 The Parable of the Mustard Seed.[a] He then said, “With what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to explain it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the greatest of all plants, and it puts forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 The Usefulness of Parables.[b] With many such parables as these he spoke the word to them so far as they were able to comprehend it. 34 He never spoke to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were by themselves.
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