Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Works and the Word of God.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
19 The (A)heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their (B)expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to (C)day pours forth speech,
And (D)night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a](E)line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has (F)placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its (G)rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 (H)The law of the Lord is [d](I)perfect, (J)restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is (K)sure, making (L)wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are (M)right, (N)rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is (O)pure, (P)enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are (Q)true; they are (R)righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than (S)gold, yes, than much fine gold;
(T)Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them (U)Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great (V)reward.
12 Who can (W)discern his errors? (X)Acquit me of (Y)hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant (Z)from presumptuous sins;
Let them not (AA)rule over me;
Then I will be [e](AB)blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of (AC)great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and (AD)the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, (AE)my rock and my (AF)Redeemer.
Sundry Laws
23 “(A)You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a (B)malicious witness. 2 You shall not follow [a]the masses in doing evil, nor shall you [b]testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after [c]a multitude in order to (C)pervert justice; 3 (D)nor shall you [d]be partial to a poor man in his dispute.
4 “(E)If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. 5 (F)If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him.
6 “(G)You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute. 7 (H)Keep far from a false charge, and (I)do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for (J)I will not acquit the guilty.
8 “(K)You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and [e]subverts the cause of the just.
9 “(L)You shall not oppress a [f]stranger, since you yourselves know the [g]feelings of a [h]stranger, for you also were [i]strangers in the land of Egypt.
16 Therefore no one is to [a](A)act as your judge in regard to (B)food or (C)drink or in respect to a (D)festival or a (E)new moon or a (F)Sabbath [b]day— 17 things which are (G)a mere shadow of what is to come; but the [c]substance [d]belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one keep [e](H)defrauding you of your prize by (I)delighting in [f]self-abasement and the worship of the angels, [g]taking his stand on visions he has seen, [h](J)inflated without cause by his (K)fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to (L)the head, from whom (M)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and [i]ligaments, grows with a growth [j]which is from God.
20 (N)If you have died with Christ [k]to the (O)elementary principles of the world, (P)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to (Q)decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer (R)to things destined to perish [l]with use)—in accordance with the (S)commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the [m]appearance of wisdom in [n](T)self-made religion and self-abasement and (U)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against (V)fleshly indulgence.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.