Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord Surrounds His People.
A Song of Ascents.
125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are as Mount Zion, which (A)cannot be moved but (B)abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So (C)the Lord surrounds His people
(D)From this time forth and forever.
3 For the (E)scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the [a]land of the righteous,
So that the righteous (F)will not put forth their hands to do wrong.
The Usefulness of Proverbs
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon (B)the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know (C)wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of (D)understanding,
3 To (E)receive instruction in wise behavior,
(F)Righteousness, justice and equity;
4 To give (G)prudence to the [a]naive,
To the youth (H)knowledge and discretion,
5 A wise man will hear and (I)increase in learning,
And a (J)man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a figure,
The words of the wise and their (K)riddles.
7 (L)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (M)Hear, my son, your father’s instruction
And (N)do not forsake your mother’s teaching;
9 Indeed, they are a (O)graceful wreath to your head
And [b](P)ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (Q)entice you,
(R)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (S)lie in wait for blood,
Let us (T)ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let us (U)swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, as those who (V)go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with spoil;
14 Throw in your lot [c]with us,
We shall all have one purse,”
15 My son, (W)do not walk in the way with them.
(X)Keep your feet from their path,
16 For (Y)their feet run to evil
And they hasten to shed blood.
17 Indeed, it is [d]useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any [e]bird;
18 But they (Z)lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who (AA)gains by violence;
It takes away the life of its possessors.
The Impartiality of God
2 Therefore you have (A)no excuse, [a](B)everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which (C)you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God [b]rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, (D)O man, [c]when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of (E)the riches of His (F)kindness and (G)tolerance and (H)patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But [d]because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart (I)you are storing up wrath for yourself (J)in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 (K)who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by (L)perseverance in doing good seek for (M)glory and honor and (N)immortality, (O)eternal life; 8 but to those who are (P)selfishly ambitious and (Q)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be (R)tribulation and distress [e]for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew (S)first and also of the Greek, 10 but (T)glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew (U)first and also to the Greek. 11 For (V)there is no partiality with God.
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