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 out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I (B)implore the Lord for compassion.
2 I (C)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (D)trouble before Him.
3 When (E)my spirit felt weak 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 favorably;
[c]There is no (H)escape for me;
(I)No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, Lord;
I said, “You are (J)my refuge,
My (K)portion in the (L)land of the living.
6 (M)Give Your attention to my cry,
For I have been (N)brought very low;
Rescue 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)look after me.”
Prophecy against Edom
7 Concerning (A)Edom.
This is what the Lord of armies says:
“Is there no longer any (B)wisdom in (C)Teman?
Has good advice been lost by the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
8 Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths,
You 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 pickers came to you,
Would they not leave gleanings?
If thieves came by night,
They would destroy only what was sufficient for them.
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 [c]offspring have been destroyed along with his [d]brothers
And his neighbors, and (H)he no longer exists.
11 Leave your [e](I)orphans behind, I will keep them alive;
And let your (J)widows trust in Me.”
The Christian’s Walk
17 (A)So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, (B)that you are to no longer walk just as the [a]Gentiles also walk, in the (C)futility of their minds, 18 being (D)darkened in their understanding, [b](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 up to (J)indecent behavior [c]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not (K)learn 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 way of life, you are to (N)rid yourselves of the (O)old [d]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the (P)lusts of deceit, 23 and that you are to be (Q)renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to (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)ridding yourselves of falsehood, (V)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are (W)parts 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 The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather (Z)he must labor, (AA)producing with his own hands what is good, (AB)so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. 29 Let no [h](AC)unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for (AD)edification [i]according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 (AE)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, [j]by whom you were (AF)sealed for the day of redemption. 31 (AG)All bitterness, wrath, anger, [k]clamor, and slander must be (AH)removed from you, along with all (AI)malice. 32 (AJ)Be kind to one another, compassionate, 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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