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)
Two Ways of Life
10 Listen, my son. Accept my words,(A)
and you will live many years.(B)
11 I am teaching you the way of wisdom;
I am guiding you on straight paths.(C)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;(D)
when you run, you will not stumble.(E)
13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go.(F)
Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Don’t set foot on the path of the wicked;(G)
don’t proceed in the way of evil ones.
15 Avoid it; don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it, and pass it by.
16 For they can’t sleep
unless they have done what is evil;
they are robbed of sleep
unless they make someone stumble.(H)
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,(I)
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;(J)
they don’t know what makes them stumble.(K)
The Straight Path
20 My son, pay attention to my words;
listen closely to my sayings.(L)
21 Don’t lose sight of them;(M)
keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
and health to one’s whole body.
23 Guard your heart above all else,[a]
for it is the source of life.(N)
24 Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly,(O)
and don’t let your lips talk deviously.
25 Let your eyes look forward;
fix your gaze[b] straight ahead.(P)
26 Carefully consider the path[c] for your feet,(Q)
and all your ways will be established.
27 Don’t turn to the right or to the left;(R)
keep your feet away from evil.
12 All those who sinned without the law(A) will also perish without the law, and all those who sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For the hearers of the law(B) are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.[a] 14 So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively(C) do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law[b] is written on their hearts.(D) Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts will either accuse or excuse them[c] 16 on the day when God judges(E) what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.(F)
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