Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
BOOK 3
The End of the Wicked Contrasted with That of the Righteous.
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 came close to stumbling,
My steps [a]had almost slipped.
3 For I was (D)envious of the [b]arrogant
As I saw the (E)prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pains in their death,
And their [c]body is fat.
5 They are (F)not [d]in trouble as other [e]men,
Nor are they (G)plagued [f]like mankind.
6 Therefore pride is (H)their necklace;
The (I)garment of violence covers them.
7 Their eye [g]bulges from (J)fatness;
The imaginations of their heart [h]run riot.
8 They (K)mock and [i]wickedly speak of oppression;
They (L)speak from on high.
9 They have (M)set their mouth [j]against the heavens,
And their tongue [k]parades through the earth.
10 Therefore [l]his people return to this place,
And waters of (N)abundance are [m]drunk by them.
11 They say, “(O)How does God know?
And is there knowledge [n]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 [o]kept my heart pure
And (S)washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken (T)all day long
And [p](U)chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the (V)generation of Your children.
16 When I (W)pondered to understand this,
It was [q]troublesome in my sight
17 Until I came into the [r](X)sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their (Y)end.
18 Surely You set them in (Z)slippery places;
You cast them down to [s](AA)destruction.
19 How they are [t](AB)destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by (AC)sudden terrors!
20 Like a (AD)dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when (AE)aroused, You will (AF)despise their [u]form.
32 “Now therefore, O sons, (A)listen to me,
For (B)blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 “(C)Heed instruction and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 “(D)Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
35 “For (E)he who finds me finds life
And (F)obtains favor from the Lord.
36 “But he who [a]sins against me (G)injures himself;
All those who (H)hate me (I)love death.”
Wisdom’s Invitation
9 Wisdom has (J)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has [b](K)prepared her food, she has (L)mixed her wine;
She has also (M)set 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 [c]naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who (R)lacks [d]understanding she says,
5 “Come, (S)eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 “[e]Forsake your folly and (T)live,
And (U)proceed in 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 she had welcomed the spies [b]in peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of (E)Gideon, (F)Barak, (G)Samson, (H)Jephthah, of (I)David and (J)Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith (K)conquered kingdoms, (L)performed acts of righteousness, (M)obtained promises, (N)shut the mouths of lions, 34 (O)quenched the power of fire, (P)escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, (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 scourgings, 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)ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), (Z)wandering in deserts 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 Example
12 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also (AE)lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and 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.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.