Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
BOOK 3
The Nearness of God Is My Good
A Psalm of Asaph.
73 Surely God is (A)good to Israel,
To those who are (B)pure in heart!
2 But as for me, (C)my feet had almost stumbled,
My steps [a]had almost slipped.
3 For I was (D)envious of the boastful,
I saw the (E)peace of the wicked.
4 For there are no pains in their death,
And their [b]body is fat.
5 They are (F)not [c]in trouble as other [d]men,
And they are not (G)stricken along with the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore lofty pride is (H)their necklace;
The (I)garment of violence covers them.
7 Their eye [e]bulges from (J)fatness;
The delusions of their heart overflow.
8 They (K)scoff and [f]wickedly speak of oppression;
They (L)speak from on high.
9 They have (M)set their mouth [g]against the heavens,
And their tongue goes through the earth.
10 Therefore [h]his people return here, to his place,
And waters of (N)fullness are [i]drunk by them.
11 They say, “(O)How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?”
12 Behold, (P)these are the wicked;
And always (Q)at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely (R)in vain I have [j]kept my heart pure
And (S)washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken (T)all day long
And [k](U)reproved every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will recount thus,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the (V)generation of Your children.
16 When I (W)gave thought to know this,
It was trouble in my sight
17 Until I came into the [l](X)sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their (Y)end.
18 Surely You set them in (Z)slippery places;
You cause them to fall to [m](AA)destruction.
19 How they become (AB)desolate in a moment!
They are completely swept away by (AC)terrors!
20 Like a (AD)dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when (AE)aroused, You will (AF)despise their [n]form.
32 “So now, O sons, (A)listen to me,
For (B)blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 (C)Hear discipline and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 (D)How blessed is the man who hears me,
To watch daily at my doors,
To keep watch at my doorposts.
35 For (E)he who finds me finds life
And (F)obtains favor from Yahweh.
36 But he who [a]sins against me (G)does violence to his own soul;
All those who (H)hate me (I)love death.”
Wisdom and Foolishness Call Out
9 Wisdom has (J)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has [b](K)slaughtered her cattle, she has (L)mixed her wine;
She has also (M)prepared her table;
3 She has (N)sent out her maidens, she (O)calls
From the (P)tops of the heights of the city:
4 “(Q)Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who (R)lacks a heart of wisdom she says,
5 “Come, (S)eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 [c]Forsake your simplicity and (T)live,
And (U)step into the way of understanding.”
29 By faith they (A)passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land, and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were [a]drowned.
30 By faith (B)the walls of Jericho fell down (C)after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith (D)Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after welcoming the spies [b]in peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount (E)Gideon, (F)Barak, (G)Samson, (H)Jephthah, as well as (I)David and (J)Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith (K)conquered kingdoms, (L)performed righteousness, (M)obtained promises, (N)shut the mouths of lions, 34 (O)quenched the power of fire, (P)escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong from weakness, (Q)became mighty in war, (R)put foreign armies to flight. 35 (S)Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their [c]release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others [d]experienced mockings and floggings, yes, also (T)chains and imprisonment. 37 They were (U)stoned, they were (V)sawn in two, [e]they were tempted, they were (W)put to death with the sword. They went about (X)in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, (Y)mistreated 38 (of whom the world was not worthy), (Z)wandering in desolate places and mountains and caves and holes [f]in the ground.
39 And all these, having [g](AA)gained approval through their faith, (AB)did not receive [h]what was promised, 40 because God had [i]provided (AC)something better for us, so that (AD)apart from us they would not be made perfect.
Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of Faith
12 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, (AE)laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us (AF)run with (AG)endurance the race that is set before us, 2 [j]fixing our eyes on Jesus, the [k](AH)author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him (AI)endured the cross, (AJ)despising the shame, and has (AK)sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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