Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
21 Yes, my heart was bitter,
and I was torn up inside.
22 I was unthinking and ignorant.
I was a dumb animal before you.
23 Yet I am always with you.
You hold me by my right hand.
24 With your guidance you lead me,
and afterward, you will take me to glory.
25 Who else is there for me in heaven?
And besides you, I desire no one else on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart fail,
but God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.
27 No doubt about it!
Those who are far from you will perish.
You destroy all who commit adultery against you.
28 As for me, God’s nearness is good for me.
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
so that I can tell about all your works.
Wise and Foolish Behaviors
22 A good name is worth more than great wealth.
Respect is worth more than silver and gold.
2 Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the maker of them all.
3 A sensible person sees trouble and hides,
but the naïve keep going and pay the penalty.
4 The outcome of humility and of the fear of the Lord
is wealth, honor, and life.
5 Thorns and traps are on the road followed by the crooked.
Whoever guards his soul[a] will stay far away from them.
6 Dedicate[b] a child to the way he should go,
and even when he becomes old, he will not turn away from it.
7 A rich person rules over poor people,
and a borrower is a slave to a lender.
8 Whoever sows injustice reaps trouble,
and the rod that inflicts his fury will be destroyed.
9 A generous person will be blessed,
because he gives some of his food to the poor.
10 Drive away a scoffer, and conflict leaves.
Quarrels and insults cease.
11 A person who loves a pure heart and whose lips are gracious
will have a king as his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over knowledge.
He overturns the words of a treacherous person.
13 A lazy person says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be murdered in the streets!”
14 The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit.
The man who is under the Lord’s wrath will fall there.
15 Foolishness is bound tightly to a child’s heart.
A rod of discipline will drive it far from him.
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to become great,
and whoever gives gifts to the rich—
both are sure to suffer loss.
Sayings of the Wise
17 Open your ears and listen to the words of the wise,
and set your heart on the knowledge that I offer,
18 for it is pleasant when you keep my words deep within you,[c]
and you have them ready on your lips.
19 Today I make my words known to you—yes, to you,
so that your trust will be in the Lord.
20 Have I not written to you already[d] with advice and knowledge,
21 in order to make accurate, true words known to you,
so that you may reply with true words to those who sent you?
All Are Guilty of Sin
9 What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all! In fact, we have already made the charge that all (both Jews and Greeks) are under sin. 10 Just as it is written:
There is no one who is righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who searches for God.
12 They all turned away; together they became useless.
There is no one who does what is good; there is not even one.[a]
13 Their throat is an open grave.
They kept deceiving with their tongues.
The poison of asps is on their lips.[b]
14 Their mouth is filled with cursing and bitterness.[c]
15 Their feet are quick to shed blood.
16 They leave a trail of destruction and suffering wherever they go.
17 The way of peace they did not know.[d]
18 There is no fear of God in front of their eyes.[e]
The Law Condemns Everyone
19 Now we know that whatever the law says is addressed to those who are under the law,[f] so that every mouth will be silenced and the whole world will be subject to God’s judgment. 20 For this reason, no one[g] will be declared righteous in his sight by works of the law, for through the law we become aware of sin.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.