Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
[a]Maskil of David, when he was [b]in the cave. A Prayer.
142 I (A)cry aloud with my voice to the Lord;
I (B)make supplication with my voice to the Lord.
2 I (C)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (D)trouble before Him.
3 When (E)my spirit [c]was overwhelmed within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have (F)hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see;
For there is (G)no one who regards me;
[d]There is no (H)escape for me;
(I)No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, O Lord;
I said, “You are (J)my refuge,
My (K)portion in the (L)land of the living.
6 “(M)Give heed to my cry,
For I am (N)brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are too (O)strong for me.
7 “(P)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will (Q)deal bountifully with me.”
Prophecy against Edom
7 Concerning (A)Edom.
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Is there no longer any (B)wisdom in (C)Teman?
Has good counsel been lost to the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
8 “Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths,
O inhabitants of (D)Dedan,
For I [a]will bring the (E)disaster of Esau upon him
At the time I [b]punish him.
9 “(F)If grape gatherers came to you,
Would they not leave gleanings?
If thieves came by night,
They would destroy only [c]until they had enough.
10 “But I have (G)stripped Esau bare,
I have uncovered his hiding places
So that he will not be able to conceal himself;
His [d]offspring has been destroyed along with his [e]relatives
And his neighbors, and (H)he is no more.
11 “Leave your [f](I)orphans behind, I will keep them alive;
And let your (J)widows trust in Me.”
The Christian’s Walk
17 (A)So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, (B)that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the (C)futility of their mind, 18 being (D)darkened in their understanding, [a](E)excluded from the life of God because of the (F)ignorance that is in them, because of the (G)hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having (H)become callous, (I)have given themselves over to (J)sensuality [b]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not (K)learn [c]Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you (L)have heard Him and have (M)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you (N)lay aside the (O)old [d]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the (P)lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be (Q)renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and (R)put on the (S)new [e]self, which [f](T)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25 Therefore, (U)laying aside falsehood, (V)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are (W)members of one another. 26 (X)Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not (Y)give the devil [g]an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather (Z)he must labor, (AA)performing with his own hands what is good, (AB)so that he will have something to share with [h]one who has need. 29 Let no [i](AC)unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for (AD)edification [j]according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 (AE)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, [k]by whom you were (AF)sealed for the day of redemption. 31 (AG)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be (AH)put away from you, along with all (AI)malice. 32 (AJ)Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, (AK)just as God in Christ also has forgiven [l]you.
Be Imitators of God
5 (AL)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and (AM)walk in love, just as Christ also (AN)loved [m]you and (AO)gave Himself up for us, an (AP)offering and a sacrifice to God [n]as a (AQ)fragrant aroma.
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