Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 125
Israel’s Stability
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.
It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.(A)
2 Jerusalem—the mountains surround her.
And the Lord surrounds His people,
both now and forever.(B)
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice.(C)
4 Do what is good, Lord, to the good,
to those whose hearts are upright.(D)
5 But as for those who turn aside to crooked ways,
the Lord will banish them with the evildoers.(E)
Peace be with Israel.(F)
The Purpose of Proverbs
1 The proverbs of Solomon(A) son of David, king of Israel:
2 For learning what wisdom and discipline are;
for understanding insightful sayings;
3 for receiving wise instruction
in righteousness, justice, and integrity;(B)
4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced,[a](C)
knowledge and discretion(D) to a young man—
5 a wise man will listen and increase his learning,(E)
and a discerning man will obtain guidance—
6 for understanding a proverb or a parable,[b]
the words of the wise, and their riddles.(F)
Avoid the Path of the Violent
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,(I)
9 for they will be a garland(J) of grace on your head
and a gold chain around your neck.(K)
10 My son, if sinners entice you,(L)
don’t be persuaded.(M)
11 If they say—“Come with us!
Let’s set an ambush(N) and kill someone.[c]
Let’s attack some innocent person(O) just for fun![d]
12 Let’s swallow them alive,(P) like Sheol,
still healthy as they go down to the Pit.(Q)
13 We’ll find all kinds of valuable property
and fill our houses with plunder.(R)
14 Throw in your lot with us,
and we’ll all share our money”[e]—
15 my son, don’t travel that road with them(S)
or set foot on their path,(T)
16 because their feet run toward trouble
and they hurry to commit murder.[f](U)
17 It is foolish to spread a net
where any bird can see it,
18 but they set an ambush to kill themselves;[g]
they attack their own lives.
19 Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly;(V)
it takes the lives of those who receive it.[h]
God’s Righteous Judgment
2 Therefore, any one of you[a](A) who judges is without excuse.(B) For when you judge another,(C) you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2 We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3 Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His kindness,(D) restraint,(E) and patience,(F) not recognizing[b] that God’s kindness(G) is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath(H) for yourself in the day of wrath,(I) when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. 6 He will repay each one according to his works:(J)[c] 7 eternal life(K) to those who by persistence in doing good(L) seek glory, honor,(M) and immortality;(N) 8 but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking(O) and disobey the truth(P) but are obeying unrighteousness; 9 affliction and distress(Q) for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;(R) 10 but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 11 There is no favoritism with God.(S)
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