Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

6 O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chastise me in Your wrath.

² Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak. O LORD, heal me, for my bones are vexed.

³ My soul is also very troubled. But LORD, how long will You delay?

⁴ Return, O LORD. Deliver my soul. Save me for Your mercy’s sake.

⁵ For in death there is no remembrance of You. In the grave, who shall praise You?

⁶ I fainted in my mourning. Every night I cause my bed to swim, and water my couch with my tears.

⁷ My eye is dimmed for grief, and sunk in because of all my enemies.

⁸ Away from me all you workers of iniquity. For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.

⁹ The LORD has heard my petition. The LORD will receive my prayer.

¹⁰ All my enemies shall be confounded and very vexed. They shall be turned back and put to shame suddenly. Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD, concerning the words of Cush, the son of Benjamin.

³ Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. And they said one to another, “Why sit here until we die?

⁴ “If we say, ‘We will enter into the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now, therefore, come and let us fall into the camp of the Aramites. If they save our lives, we shall live. And if they kill us, we are already dead.”

⁵ So they rose up in the twilight, to go to the camp of the Aramites. And when they had come to the outermost part of the camp of the Aramites, lo, there was no man there.

⁶ For the LORD had caused the camp of the Aramites to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses (a noise of a great army), so that they said one to another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites against us, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us!”

⁷ Therefore, they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys — the camp as it was — and fled for their lives.

⁸ And when these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they entered into one tent, and ate and drank, and carried silver and gold from there, and clothing, and went and hid it. Afterward, they returned and entered into another tent and carried from there, and went and hid it,

⁹ then said to one another, “We do not do well. This day is a day of good news, and we hold our peace. If we wait until daylight, some mischief will come upon us. Now, therefore, come. Let us go and tell the king’s household.

¹⁰ So, they came and called the porters of the city and told them, saying, “We came to the camp of the Aramites. And lo, there was neither man there, nor voice of man, but tied horses and donkeys. And the tents are as they were.”

¹⁴ Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

¹⁵ I speak as to those who have understanding. Judge what I say.

¹⁶ The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

¹⁷ For we who are many, are one bread and one body, because we are all partakers of one bread.

¹⁸ Behold Israel according to the flesh. Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the Altar?

¹⁹ What do I say, then? That the idol is anything? Or that that which is sacrificed to idols is anything?

²⁰ Rather that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. And I do not wish that you should have fellowship with demons.

²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of the demons. You cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of demons.

²² Do we provoke the Lord to anger? Are we stronger than He?

²³ All things are lawful for me, but all things are not profitable. All things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify.

²⁴ Let no one seek his own, but everyone another’s wealth.

²⁵ Whatever is sold in the meat market, eat, and ask no question for conscience’ sake.

²⁶ For the Earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is.

²⁷ If any unbelievers call you to a feast, and you are willing to go, whatever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience’ sake.

²⁸ But if anyone says to you, ‘This is sacrificed to idols’, do not eat it, because of him who showed it, and for conscience’ sake (for the Earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is),

²⁹ and the conscience, I say, not of your own, but of the other. For why should my freedom be judged by another man’s conscience?

³⁰ For if I, with gratitude, be a partaker, why am I maligned for that which I give thanks?

³¹ Therefore, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

³² Give no offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Greeks, nor to the Church of God.

³³ Just as I please all mankind in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saved.

11 Be followers of me, just as I am of Christ.