Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 5[a]
Morning Prayer for Divine Help
1 For the director.[b] With flutes. A psalm of David.
2 Listen to my words, O Lord;
pay heed to my sighs.
3 Hear my cry for help,
my King and my God;
for to you I pray.
4 O Lord, at daybreak[c] you hear my voice;
at daybreak I bring my petition before you
and await your reply.
5 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil cannot remain in your presence.
6 The arrogant shrink before your gaze;
you hate all who do evil.
7 You destroy all who tell lies;
the Lord detests the violent and the deceitful.
8 But I will enter your house
because of your great kindness,[d]
and I will bow down in your holy temple,
filled with awe of you.
9 Lead me in your ways of righteousness, O Lord,
for I am surrounded by enemies;
make your path straight before me.[e]
10 For there is nothing trustworthy in their mouth;[f]
their heart devises treacherous schemes.
Their throat is a wide open grave;
with their tongue they utter flattery.
11 Punish them, O God;
may their intrigues result in their downfall.
Cast them out because of their many transgressions,
for they have rebelled against you.[g]
12 But may all who take refuge in you rejoice;
may they shout for joy forever.
Grant them your protection
so that those who love your name[h] may rejoice in you.
13 Truly, you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you surround them with your goodwill as with a shield.
21 A wise man is esteemed for being pleasant,
and his friendly words increase his influence.
22 Wisdom is a fountain of life to one who possesses it,
but folly is the punishment of fools.
23 A wise man’s heart guides his mouth,
and his lips increase learning.
24 Pleasing words are like a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and affording health to the body.[a]
25 Sometimes a path may seem to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.
26 The laborer’s appetite works on his behalf,
as hunger spurs him on.[b]
27 A scoundrel[c] concocts evil,
and his lips are like a scorching fire.
28 A perverse man sows strife,
and a tale-bearer destroys close friendships.
29 One who indulges in violence entices his neighbor
and leads him into evil ways.
30 One who winks his eye is plotting perverse deeds;
one who purses his lips is bent on mischief.
31 Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained by a righteous life.
32 It is better to be a patient man rather than a warrior,
one who controls his temper rather than one who captures a city.
33 The lot[d] is cast into the lap,
but the decision comes from the Lord.
Chapter 15
Traditions That Falsify the Law of God. 1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 [a]“Why do your disciples ignore the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before eating.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses his father or mother shall be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone says to his father or mother, “Anything I might have used for your support is dedicated to God,” 6 then he is excused from his duty to honor his father or mother.’ To uphold your tradition you have made God’s word null and void. 7 You hypocrites! How rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you when he said:
8 ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
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