Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

God is truly good to the upright,^[d]
    to those who are pure in heart.
^2 [e]But as for me, I nearly lost my balance;^[f]
    I was almost at the point of stumbling.
³ For I was filled with envy of the arrogant
    when I perceived how the wicked prosper.
^4 [g]They endure no painful suffering;
    their bodies are healthy and well fed.
⁵ They are not plagued with burdens common to all;
    the troubles of life do not afflict them.
⁶ So they wear arrogance like a necklace
    and don violence like a robe.
⁷ Their callous hearts overflow with malice,
    and their minds are completely taken up with evil plans.
⁸ They mock and pour forth their malevolence;
    in their haughtiness they threaten oppression.
⁹ Their mouths rage against the heavens
    while their tongues are never stilled on the earth.
^10 [h]So the people blindly follow them
    and find nothing offensive in their words.^[i]
11 They say: “How does God know?
    Does the Most High notice anything?”
¹² Such are the wicked,
    as they pile up wealth, without any concerns.
^13 [j]Is it in vain that I have kept my heart clean
    and washed my hands in innocence?
¹⁴ For I am stricken day after day
    and punished every morning.
¹⁵ If I had decided, “I will speak like them,”
    I would not have been true to your children.^[k]
16 [l]When I tried to understand all this,
    I found it too difficult for me,
¹⁷ until I entered the sanctuary of God^[m]
    and realized what their final end would be.
^18 [n]Indeed, you set them on a slippery slope
    and cast them headlong into utter ruin.
¹⁹ How suddenly they are destroyed,
    completely wiped out by terrors!
²⁰ When you arise, O Lord,
    you will dismiss them
    as one discards a dream on awakening.

¹ False scales are an abomination to the Lord,
    but a true weight is pleasing to him.
² When pride is nurtured, disgrace soon follows,
    but wisdom is the hallmark of the humble.
³ The upright are guarded by their integrity;
    the treacherous are destroyed by their own duplicity.
⁴ Riches will be of no avail on the day of wrath,^[b]
    but righteousness delivers from death.
⁵ The virtue of the honest man keeps his way straight,
    whereas the evil man falls as a result of his wickedness.
⁶ The righteousness of the upright saves them,
    but the treacherous are trapped by their own schemes.
⁷ When a wicked man dies, all his expectations die with him,
    and the hope he placed in his riches comes to nought.
⁸ The righteous man escapes affliction,
    and the wicked man incurs it instead.
⁹ With his mouth the godless man seeks to ruin his neighbor,
    but knowledge enables the righteous to be delivered.
¹⁰ The city rejoices when the upright prosper,
    and when the wicked are ruined, there is exultation.
¹¹ Through the blessing of the righteous a city is raised,
    but it is destroyed by the mouth of the wicked.
¹² A man who lacks sense belittles a neighbor,
    but an intelligent man remains silent.
¹³ One who gossips reveals secrets,
    but a trustworthy man keeps things hidden.
¹⁴ For lack of leadership a nation collapses;
    safety is assured with a multitude of advisers.
¹⁵ Whoever puts up bail for a stranger will suffer loss,
    but the one who refuses to do so will be safe.
¹⁶ A gracious woman acquires honor,
    while the woman who hates virtue is covered with shame.
Those who are lazy become destitute,
    but those who are diligent gain wealth.^[c]
17 A kind man benefits himself,
    whereas a cruel man hurts himself.
¹⁸ The labors of the wicked man produce little profit,
    but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
¹⁹ Whoever is steadfast in righteousness finds life,
    but the one who pursues evil is on the road to death.
²⁰ Those with perverse hearts are abhorrent to the Lord,
    but those whose ways are blameless are dear to him.
²¹ You need have no fear that the wicked will not be punished,
    but those who are righteous will escape harm.
²² Like a ring of gold^[d] in a pig’s snout
    is a beautiful woman without good sense.
²³ The righteous desire only what is good;
    the expectation of the wicked ends in wrath.
²⁴ One man gives lavishly and increases his wealth,
    while another is tight-fisted and ends up impoverished.^[e]
25 A generous person will be enriched;
    he who refreshes others will also be refreshed.
²⁶ The people curse those who hoard grain,
    but the one who sells it earns their blessing.
²⁷ Whoever strives for good earns great acclaim,
    but the one who pursues evil will be afflicted by it.
²⁸ Whoever places his trust in riches will fall,
    but the righteous will flourish like sprouting leaves.
²⁹ Whoever causes trouble for his family inherits the wind,
    and a fool will become a servant to the wise man.
³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
    and the wise man wins souls.^[f]
31 If the just man receives his deserts on earth,
    how much more will the wicked and the sinner!

“My son, do not scorn the discipline of the Lord
    or lose heart when you are punished by him.
⁶ For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
    and he chastises every son whom he acknowledges.”