Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
(A special psalm and a prayer by David when he was in the cave.)
A Prayer for Help
1 (A) I pray to you, Lord.
I beg for mercy.
2 I tell you all my worries
and my troubles,
3 and whenever I feel low,
you are there to guide me.
A trap has been hidden
along my pathway.
4 Even if you look,
you won't see anyone
who cares enough
to walk beside me.
There is no place to hide,
and no one who really cares.
5 I pray to you, Lord!
You are my place of safety,
and you are my choice
in the land of the living.
Please answer my prayer.
I am completely helpless.
6 Help! They are chasing me,
and they are too strong.
7 Rescue me from this prison,
so I can praise your name.
And when your people notice
your wonderful kindness to me,
they will rush to my side.
What the Lord Says about Edom
7 (A)(B) The Lord All-Powerful says about Edom:
Wisdom and common sense
have vanished from Teman.[a]
8 I will send disaster to punish
you descendants of Esau,[b]
so anyone from Dedan[c]
had better turn around
and run back home.[d]
9 People who harvest grapes
leave some for the poor.
Thieves who break in at night
take only what they want.
10 But I will take everything
that belongs to you,
people of Edom,
and I will uncover every place
where you try to hide.
Then you will die,
and so will your children,
relatives, and neighbors.
11 But I can be trusted
to care for your orphans
and widows.
The Old Life and the New Life
17 As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. 18 Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, 19 and they are so greedy they do all kinds of indecent things.
20-21 But this isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him. 22 (A) You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. 23 Let the Spirit change your way of thinking 24 (B) and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.
Rules for the New Life
25 (C) We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth. 26 (D) Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry 27 and don't give the devil a chance.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need.
29 Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say.
30 Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.
31 Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. 32 (E) Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.
5 Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 (F) Let love be your guide. Christ loved us[a] and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.