Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
21-22 I was so stupid.
I thought about such people and became upset.
God, I was upset and angry with you!
I acted like a senseless animal.
23 But I am always with you.
You hold my hand.
24 You lead me and give me good advice,
and later you will lead me to glory.[a]
25 In heaven, God, I have only you.
And if I am with you, what on earth could I want?
26 Maybe my mind[b] and body will become weak,
but God is my source of strength.[c]
He is mine forever!
27 God, people who leave you will be lost.
You will destroy all who are not faithful to you.
28 As for me, all I need is to be close to God.
I have made the Lord God my place of safety.
And, God, I will tell about all that you have done.
22 It is better to be respected than to be rich. A good name is worth more than silver or gold.
2 The rich and the poor are the same. The Lord made them all.
3 Wise people see trouble coming and get out of its way, but fools go straight to it and suffer for it.
4 Respect the Lord and be humble. Then you will have wealth, honor, and true life.
5 Evil people are trapped by many troubles, but those who want to live avoid them.
6 Teach children in a way that fits their needs, and even when they are old, they will not leave the right path.
7 The rich rule over the poor. The one who borrows is a slave to the one who lends.
8 Those who spread trouble will harvest trouble. In the end, they will be destroyed for the trouble they caused.
9 Generous people will be blessed, because they share their food with the poor.
10 Get rid of the proud who laugh at what is right, and trouble will leave with them. All arguments and insults will end.
11 Love a pure heart and kind words, and the king will be your friend.
12 The Lord watches over true knowledge, and he opposes those who try to deceive others.
13 A person who is lazy and wants to stay home says, “There is a lion outside, and I might be killed in the streets!”
14 The sin of adultery is a trap, and the Lord gets very angry with those who fall into it.
15 Children do foolish things, but if you punish them, they will learn not to do them.
16 These two things will make you poor: hurting the poor to make yourself rich and giving gifts to the rich.
Thirty Wise Sayings
17 Listen carefully to these words from the wise. Pay attention to what I have learned. 18 It will be good for you to remember these words and have them ready when they are needed. 19 I will teach you these things now. I want you to trust the Lord. 20 I have written 30 sayings for you.[a] These are words of advice and wisdom. 21 They will teach you things that you can know for sure to be true. Then you can give good answers to the one who sent you.
All People Are Guilty
9 So are we Jews better than other people? No, we have already said that those who are Jews, as well as those who are not Jews, are the same. They are all guilty of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,
“There is no one doing what is right,
not even one.
11 There is no one who understands.
There is no one who is trying to be with God.
12 They have all turned away from him,
and now they are of no use to anyone.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.” (A)
13 “Their words come from mouths that are like open graves.
They use their lying tongues to deceive others.” (B)
“Their words are like the poison of snakes.” (C)
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and angry words.” (D)
15 “They are always ready to kill someone.
16 Everywhere they go they cause trouble and ruin.
17 They don’t know how to live in peace.” (E)
18 “They have no fear or respect for God.” (F)
19 What the law says is for those who are under the law. It stops anyone from making excuses. And it brings the whole world under God’s judgment, 20 because no one can be made right with God by following the law. The law only shows us our sin.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International