Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 14
A Portrait of Sinners
For the choir director. Of David.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”(A)
They are corrupt; they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race[a](B)
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God.
3 All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.(C)
4 Will evildoers never understand?
They consume my people as they consume bread;(D)
they do not call on the Lord.(E)
20 Look up and see
those coming from the north.(A)
Where is the flock entrusted to you,
the sheep that were your pride?
The Destiny of Jerusalem
21 What will you say when he appoints
close friends as leaders over you,
ones you yourself trained?
Won’t labor pains seize you,(B)
as they do a woman in labor?
22 And when you ask yourself,
“Why have these things happened to me?”
it is because of your great guilt(C)
that your skirts have been stripped off,(D)
your body exposed.[a]
23 Can the Cushite change his skin,
or a leopard his spots?
If so, you might be able to do what is good,(E)
you who are instructed in evil.
24 I will scatter you[b] like drifting chaff(F)
before the desert wind.
25 This is your lot,
what I have decreed for you—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
because you have forgotten me(G)
and trusted in lies.(H)
26 I will pull your skirts up over your face
so that your shame might be seen.(I)
27 Your adulteries and your lustful neighing,(J)
your depraved prostitution
on the hills, in the fields—
I have seen your abhorrent acts.
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
You are unclean—
for how long yet?(K)
Greeting
1 Paul,(A) an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command(B) of God our Savior(C) and of Christ Jesus our hope:(D)
2 To Timothy,(E) my true son in the faith.
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the[a] Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
False Doctrine and Misuse of the Law
3 As I urged you when I went to Macedonia,(F) remain in Ephesus(G) so that you may instruct certain people(H) not to teach false doctrine 4 or to pay attention to myths(I) and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan,(J) which operates by faith. 5 Now the goal of our instruction is love(K) that comes from a pure heart,(L) a good conscience,(M) and a sincere faith.(N) 6 Some have departed from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on. 8 But we know that the law is good,(O) provided one uses it legitimately. 9 We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious,(P) for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral(Q) and males who have sex with males,(R) for slave traders, liars,(S) perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching(T) 11 that conforms to the gospel(U) concerning the glory of the blessed God,(V) which was entrusted to me.(W)
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