Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Cry of Distress and Imprecation on Adversaries.
For the choir director; according to [a]Shoshannim. A Psalm of David.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, (A)at an acceptable time;
O God, in the (B)greatness of Your lovingkindness,
Answer me with [a]Your saving truth.
14 Deliver me from the (C)mire and do not let me sink;
May I be (D)delivered from [b]my foes and from the [c](E)deep waters.
15 May the [d](F)flood of water not overflow me
Nor the deep swallow me up,
Nor the (G)pit shut its mouth on me.
30 I will (A)praise the name of God with song
And (B)magnify Him with (C)thanksgiving.
31 And it will (D)please the Lord better than an ox
Or a young bull with horns and hoofs.
32 The (E)humble [a]have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, (F)let your heart [b]revive.
33 For (G)the Lord hears the needy
And (H)does not despise His who are prisoners.
Universal Language, Babel, Confusion
11 Now the whole earth [a]used the same language and [b]the same words. 2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land (A)of Shinar and [c]settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used (B)tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top (C)will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves (D)a name, otherwise we (E)will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 (F)The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have [d](G)the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be [e]impossible for them. 7 Come, (H)let Us go down and there (I)confuse their [f]language, so that they will not understand one another’s [g]speech.” 8 So the Lord (J)scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called [h](K)Babel, because there the Lord confused the [i]language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “(A)Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the (B)false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are (C)ravenous wolves. 16 You will [a](D)know them by their fruits. [b]Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So (E)every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 (F)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will [c]know them (G)by their fruits.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.