Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 148

¹ Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights!

² Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts!

³ Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you stars of light!

⁴ Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens!

⁵ Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.

⁶ He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away [He fixed their bounds which cannot be passed over].

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps!

⁸ You lightning, hail, fog, and frost, you stormy wind fulfilling His orders!

⁹ Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars!

¹⁰ Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!

¹¹ Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers and judges of the earth!

¹² Both young men and maidens, old men and children!

¹³ Let them praise and exalt the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted and supreme! His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven!

¹⁴ He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them power, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence], a song of praise for all His godly ones, for the people of Israel, who are near to Him. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)^(A)

1 The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

^2 [a]That people may know skillful and godly ^[b]Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,

³ Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity,

⁴ That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth—

⁵ The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]—^(A)

⁶ That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles.

⁷ The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.^(B)

¹³ Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his [good] works with the [unobtrusive] humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom.

¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry, selfish ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth.

¹⁵ This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demoniacal).

¹⁶ For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity).

¹⁸ And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God’s will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts].