Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Moral and Religious Laws
19 The Lord told Moses 2 (A) to say to the community of Israel:
I am the Lord your God. I am holy, and you must be holy too!
9 (A) When you harvest your grain, always leave some of it standing along the edges of your fields and don't pick up what falls on the ground. 10 Don't strip your grapevines clean or gather the grapes that fall off the vines. Leave them for the poor and for those foreigners who live among you. I am the Lord your God.
11 (B) Do not steal or tell lies or cheat others.
12 (C) Do not misuse my name by making promises you don't intend to keep. I am the Lord your God.
13 (D) Do not steal anything or cheat anyone, and don't fail to pay your workers at the end of each day.[a]
14 (E) I am the Lord your God, and I command you not to make fun of the deaf or to cause a blind person to stumble.
15 (F) Be fair, no matter who is on trial—don't favor either the poor or the rich.
16 Don't be a gossip, but never hesitate to speak up in court, especially if your testimony can save someone's life.[b]
17 (G) Don't hold grudges. On the other hand, it's wrong not to correct someone who needs correcting. 18 (H) Don't be angry or try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.
33 Point out your rules, Lord,
and I won't disobey
even one of them.
34 Help me to understand your Law;
I promise to obey it
with all my heart.
35 Direct me by your commands!
I love to do what you say.
36 Make me want to obey you,
rather than to be rich.
37 Take away my foolish desires,
and let me find life
by walking with you.
38 I am your servant!
Do for me what you promised
to those who worship you.
39 Your wonderful teachings
protect me from the insults
that I hate so much.
40 I long for your teachings.
Be true to yourself
and let me live.
Only One Foundation
10 God treated me with undeserved grace and let me become an expert builder. I laid a foundation on which others have built. But we must each be careful how we build, 11 because Christ is the only foundation.
16 (A) All of you surely know you are God's temple and his Spirit lives in you. 17 Together you are God's holy temple, and God will destroy anyone who destroys his temple.
18 Don't fool yourselves! If any of you think you are wise in the things of this world, you will have to become foolish before you can be truly wise. 19 (B) This is because God considers the wisdom of this world to be foolish. It is just as the Scriptures say, “God catches the wise when they try to outsmart him.” 20 (C) The Scriptures also say, “The Lord knows that the plans made by wise people are useless.” 21-22 So stop bragging about what anyone has done. Paul and Apollos and Peter[a] all belong to you. In fact, everything is yours, including the world, life, death, the present, and the future. Everything belongs to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Revenge
(Luke 6.29,30)
38 (A) You know you have been taught, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39 But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek,[a] turn and let that person slap your other cheek. 40 If someone sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well. 41 If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one kilometer, carry it two kilometers.[b] 42 When people ask you for something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it to them.
Love
(Luke 6.27,28,32-36)
43 (B) You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” 44 But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. 45 (C) Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. 46 If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for this? Even tax collectors[c] love their friends. 47 If you greet only your friends, what's so great about this? Don't even unbelievers do that? 48 (D) But you must always act like your Father in heaven.
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