Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 14
A Portrait of Sinners
For the choir director. Davidic.
1 The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.”(A)
They are corrupt; they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race(B)
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God.
3 All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.[a](C)
4 Will evildoers never understand?
They consume My people as they consume bread;(D)
they do not call on the Lord.(E)
6 When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired 20,000 foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 men from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 men from Tob.
7 David heard about it and sent Joab and all the fighting men. 8 The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were in the field by themselves. 9 When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some men out of all the elite troops of Israel and lined up in battle formation to engage the Arameans. 10 He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai who lined up in battle formation to engage the Ammonites.
11 “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll come to help you. 12 Be strong! We must prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God.(A) May the Lord’s will be done.”[a]
The Christian Life
12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved,(A) put on heartfelt compassion, kindness,(B) humility,(C) gentleness,(D) and patience,(E) 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.(F) 14 Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called(G) in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. 16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name(H) of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
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