Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Two Ways Contrasted
5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind,
who makes flesh his strength,
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 He will be like a bush in the desert,
and he won’t see when good comes.
He will dwell in parched places in the wilderness,[a]
a land of salt, without inhabitants.
7 Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord,
making the Lord his trust.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by a stream.
He won’t fear when the heat comes,
and his leaves will be green.
In a year of drought he won’t be concerned,
nor will he stop producing fruit.”
The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart
9 “The heart is more deceitful than anything.
It is incurable—
who can know it?
10 I am the Lord who searches the heart,
who tests the inner depths
to give to each person
according to what he deserves,[b]
according to the fruit of his deeds.
BOOK I (Psalms 1-41)
The Righteous and the Wicked[a]
1 How blessed is the person,
who does not take[b] the advice of the wicked,
who does not stand on the path with sinners,
and who does not sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But he delights in the Lord’s instruction,[c]
and meditates in his instruction[d] day and night.
3 He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,
yielding its fruit in its season,
and whose leaf does not wither.
He will prosper in everything he does.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 Now if we preach that the Messiah[a] has been raised from the dead, how can some of you keep claiming there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah[b] has not been raised, 14 and if the Messiah[c] has not been raised, then our message means nothing and your[d] faith means nothing. 15 In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God because we testified on God’s behalf that he raised the Messiah[e]—whom he did not raise if in fact it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then the Messiah[f] has not been raised, 17 and if the Messiah[g] has not been raised, your faith is worthless and you are still imprisoned by your sins. 18 Yes, even those who have died[h] believing[i] in the Messiah[j] are lost. 19 If we have set our hopes on the Messiah[k] in this life only, we deserve more pity than any other people.
20 But at this moment the Messiah[l] stands risen from the dead, the first one offered in the harvest[m] of those who have died.[n]
Jesus Ministers to Many People(A)
17 Then Jesus[a] came down with them and stood on a level place, along with many of his disciples and a large gathering of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Even those who were being tormented by unclean spirits were being healed. 19 The entire crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him and healing all of them.
Jesus Pronounces Blessings and Judgment(B)
20 Then Jesus[b] looked at his disciples and said,
“How blessed are you who are destitute,
because the kingdom of God is yours!
21 How blessed are you who are hungry now,
because you will be satisfied!
How blessed are you who are crying now,
because you will laugh!
22 “How blessed are you whenever people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you because of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because your reward in heaven is great! That’s the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.
24 “But how terrible it will be for you who are rich,
because you have had your comfort!
25 How terrible it will be for you who are full now,
because you will be hungry!
How terrible it will be for you who are laughing now,
because you will mourn and cry!
26 “How terrible it will be for you when everyone says nice things about you, because that’s the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets!”
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.