Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 15
Who May Dwell in Your Sanctuary?
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A psalm by David.
The Question: Who May Dwell in Your Sanctuary?
1 Lord, who may be a guest in your tent?
Who may dwell on your holy mountain?
The Answer: The One Who Does What Is Righteous
2 One who walks with integrity,
who does what is righteous,
and who speaks the truth in his heart.
3 He has no slander on his tongue.
He does not harm his friend,
and he does not defame his neighbor.
4 He despises everyone whom God rejects,
but he honors those who fear the Lord.
When he promises something,
he does not break his word
even though it costs him a lot.
5 He does not lend his money to get interest,[a]
and he does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
One who does these things will never be toppled.
17 Do not neglect justice for an alien who lives among you or for a fatherless child, and do not take the clothing of a widow as a pledge.
18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, but the Lord your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.
19 When you harvest the crops in your field and you forget a bundle in the field, do not return to get it. It will be for the benefit of the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything your hands do.
20 When you beat your olives off the tree, do not strip the boughs clean of olives. Some are to be left for the benefit of the alien, the fatherless, and the widow.
21 When you cut grapes from your vineyard, do not go over it again. Leave some for the benefit of the alien, the fatherless, and the widow.
22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. That is why I am commanding you to do this.
25 When there is a dispute between men and they go to court and a verdict is reached, and they have acquitted the innocent person and convicted the guilty one, 2 if the guilty one is to be flogged, the judge is to make him lie down, and he will order him to be flogged in his presence with the number of blows that is proportionate to his guilt. 3 He may have him struck forty times, but no more, so that your brother does not become degraded in your eyes by receiving a severe beating that goes beyond this number.
4 You are not to muzzle an ox when it is threshing.
Dealing With Elders
17 The elders who lead well should be considered worthy of double honor, especially the ones who work hard in the word and doctrine.[a] 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,”[b] and “The worker is worthy of his pay.”[c] 19 Do not accept an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 20 In the presence of everyone, rebuke the ones who persist in sin, so that the rest may be afraid.
21 I solemnly charge you, in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, that you follow these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing out of partiality. 22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily and do not take part in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23 Stop drinking just water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent sicknesses.
24 The sins of some people are obvious, going on ahead of them to judgment, but the sins of others follow them there.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.