Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Good and the Sinful

73 For sure God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. ² But as for me, my feet came close to falling. My steps had almost tripped. ³ For I was jealous of the proud when I saw that all was going well with the sinful. ⁴ For they suffer no pain in their death, and their body is fat. ⁵ They do not have the troubles of other men or suffer like other men. ⁶ So they wear pride around their neck. Fighting covers them like a coat. ⁷ They are so fat that their eyes are pushed out. The crazy thoughts of their hearts run wild. ⁸ They laugh at the truth, and speak sinful things about making it hard for others. They speak from a high place. ⁹ They say bad things against heaven, and their tongue walks through the earth.

¹⁰ And so his people return to this place and drink water from a full cup. ¹¹ They say, “How does God know? Is there much learning with the Most High?”

¹² See, this is what the sinful are like. They always have it easy and their riches grow. ¹³ For no good reason I have kept my heart pure and have not sinned. ¹⁴ For I have suffered all day long. I have been punished every morning.

¹⁵ I would not have been true to Your children if I had spoken this way. ¹⁶ It was too hard for me when I tried to understand this, ¹⁷ until I went into the holy place of God. Then I understood their end. ¹⁸ For sure, You set the sinful in places where there is danger at every step. You throw them down to be destroyed. ¹⁹ How they are destroyed right away! They come to an end with much fear. ²⁰ Like a dream when one wakes up, so You will hate what they look like when You rise up, O Lord.

11 The Lord hates a false weight, but a true weight is His joy.

² When pride comes, then comes shame, but wisdom is with those who have no pride.

³ The honor of good people will lead them, but those who hurt others will be destroyed by their own false ways.

⁴ Riches are of no use in the day of God’s anger, but being right with God saves from death.

⁵ Those right with God, who are without blame, make a straight way for themselves, but the sinful will fall by their own wrong-doing.

⁶ Being right with God will save the honest man, but those who hurt others will be trapped by their wrong desires.

⁷ When a sinful man dies, his hope dies with him, and all his power comes to nothing.

⁸ The one who is right with God is kept from trouble, but the sinful get into trouble instead.

⁹ The sinful man destroys his neighbor with his mouth, but those who are fair will be saved through knowing God.

¹⁰ The city is glad when everything goes well with those who are right with God, and there are shouts of joy when the sinful are destroyed.

¹¹ A city is honored by the good things that come to the faithful, but it is torn down by the mouth of the sinful.

¹² He who hates his neighbor does not think well, but a man of understanding keeps quiet.

¹³ He who is always telling stories makes secrets known, but he who can be trusted keeps a thing hidden.

¹⁴ A nation falls where there is no wise leading, but it is safe where there are many wise men who know what to do.

¹⁵ He who puts himself as trust for what a stranger owes to another will suffer for it, but he who hates to be trusted for what another owes is safe.

¹⁶ A kind woman gets honor, and bad men get riches.

¹⁷ The man who shows loving-kindness does himself good, but the man without pity hurts himself.

¹⁸ The sinful man earns false pay, but he who spreads what is right and good gets pay that is sure.

¹⁹ He who will not be moved from being right with God will live, but he who goes for what is bad will bring about his own death.

²⁰ The Lord hates those who are sinful in heart, but those who walk without blame are His joy.

²¹ Know for sure that the sinful man will not go without being punished, but the children of those who are right with God will be saved.

²² A beautiful woman who does not think well is like a gold ring in the nose of a pig.

²³ The desire of those who are right with God is only good, but the hope of the sinful is anger.

²⁴ There is one who is free in giving, and yet he grows richer. And there is one who keeps what he should give, but he ends up needing more.

²⁵ The man who gives much will have much, and he who helps others will be helped himself.

²⁶ The people curse him who keeps grain for himself, but good comes to him who sells it.

²⁷ He who looks for good finds favor, but he who looks for wrong-doing will have bad come to him.

²⁸ He who trusts in his riches will fall, but those who are right with God will grow like a green leaf.

²⁹ He who troubles his own house will be given the wind, and the foolish will serve those with a wise heart.

³⁰ The fruit of those who are right with God is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

³¹ If those who are right with God will be paid on earth, how much more the sinful and the wrong-doer!

³ Sinful men spoke words of hate against Christ. He was willing to take such shame from sinners. Think of this so you will not get tired and give up. ⁴ In your fight against sin, you have not yet had to stand against sin with your blood. ⁵ Do you remember what God said to you when He called you His sons? “My son, listen when the Lord punishes you. Do not give up when He tells you what you must do. ⁶ The Lord punishes everyone He loves. He whips every son He receives.” ^{(A) 7} Do not give up when you are punished by God. Be willing to take it, knowing that God is teaching you as a son. Is there a father who does not punish his son sometimes? ⁸ If you are not punished as all sons are, it means that you are not a true son of God. You are not a part of His family and He is not your Father. ⁹ Remember that our fathers on earth punished us. We had respect for them. How much more should we obey our Father in heaven and live? ¹⁰ For a little while our fathers on earth punished us when they thought they should. But God punishes us for our good so we will be holy as He is holy. ¹¹ There is no joy while we are being punished. It is hard to take, but later we can see that good came from it. And it gives us the peace of being right with God.

¹² So lift up your hands that have been weak. Stand up on your weak legs. ¹³ Walk straight ahead so the weak leg will not be turned aside, but will be healed.