Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Folly of the Godless and God’s Final Triumph
For the music director. Of David.[a]
14 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt.
They do abominable deeds.
There is none who does good.
2 Yahweh looks down from heaven upon the children of humankind
to see whether there is one who has insight,
one who cares about God.
3 All have gone astray;
they are altogether corrupt.
There is not one who does good;
there is not even one.
4 All who do evil—do they not know,
they who eat my people as though they were eating bread?
They do not call on Yahweh.
5 There they are very fearful[b]
because God is with the generation of the righteous.
6 You would put to shame the plan of the poor,
because[c] Yahweh is his refuge.
7 Oh that from Zion[d] would come salvation for Israel!
When Yahweh returns the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be happy.
The Ammonites Refuse David’s Loyal Love
10 Afterwards the king of the Ammonites died,[a] and his son Hanun ruled in his place. 2 David said, “I will show loyal love with Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed loyal love with me.” So David sent to console him concerning his father, by the hand of his servants. And the servants of David came to the land of the Ammonites.[b] 3 But the commanders of the Ammonites[c] said to Hanun their master, “In your opinion,[d] is David honoring your father because he has sent condolences to you? Is it not in order to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it that David sent his servants to you?” 4 Then Hanun took the servants of David, and he shaved off half of their beards and cut their garments off in the middle up to their buttocks, then sent them away. 5 When they told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain in Jericho until your beards have grown, and then you can return.”
Prayer for Maturity Based on Christ’s Preeminence
9 Because of this also we, from the day we heard about it,[a] did not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual insight, 10 so that you may live in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please him in all respects[b], bearing fruit in every good deed and increasing in the knowledge of God, 11 enabled with all power, according to his glorious might, for all steadfastness and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you for a share of the inheritance of the saints in light, 13 who has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us[c] to the kingdom of the Son he loves[d], 14 in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins,
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