Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Test of a Man Is in His Conversation[a]
4 When a sieve is shaken, the rubbish appears;
so too do the defects of a man after he speaks.
5 As the work of a potter is tested in a furnace,
so the test of a man is in his conversation.
6 The fruit of a tree reveals the care with which it was cultivated;
in the same way, a man’s speech reveals his mindset.
7 Do not praise anyone who has not yet spoken,
since this is the way men are tested.
10 For just as the rain and the snow
come down from the heavens
and do not return there
until they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed for the one who sows
and bread for those who eat,
11 so shall my word be
that issues forth from my mouth.
It will not return to me unfulfilled,
but it will accomplish my purpose
and achieve what I sent it forth to do.
12 Yes, you will go forth in joy,
and you will be led back in peace.
The mountains and hills before you
will burst forth into song,
and all the trees in the countryside
will clap their hands.
13 A cypress will grow in place of the thornbush,
and myrtles will come up instead of briars.
All this will increase the Lord’s renown,
an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.
12 My eyes have witnessed the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
13 [a]The righteous will flourish like the palm tree;
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.
14 They are planted in the house of the Lord[b]
and will flourish in the courts of our God.
15 They still will bear fruit, in their old age,
and they will remain fresh and green,
51 Listen while I tell you a mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed 52 in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.[a] 53 For this perishable body must be clothed with the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
54 When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then will the words that are written be fulfilled:
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.
55 Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. 57 But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, stand firm and immovable, devoting yourselves completely to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
39 Parable of the Blind Leading the Blind. He also told them a parable: “Can one blind man guide another who is also blind? Will not both of them fall into a pit? 40 No student is greater than his teacher, but a fully trained student will be like his teacher.
41 “Why do you take note of the splinter in your brother’s eye but do not notice the wooden plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the splinter that is in your eye,’ while all the time you do not notice the wooden plank that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the wooden plank from your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly enough to remove the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.
43 A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit.[a]“No healthy tree can bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotting tree bear healthy fruit. 44 Every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes or grapes from brambles. 45 A good man produces good from the store of goodness in his heart, whereas an evil man produces evil from the store of evil within him. For the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart.
46 Parable of the Two Foundations.“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but fail to do what I tell you? 47 I will show you what everyone is like who comes to me and hears my words and acts in accordance with them. 48 He is like a man who in building a house dug deeply and laid its foundations on rock. When the flood rose, it burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been solidly constructed. 49 In contrast, the one who hears and does not act in accordance with my words is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. As soon as the river burst against it, the house collapsed and was completely destroyed.”
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