Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
IV
21 Since my heart was embittered
and my soul deeply wounded,
22 I was stupid and could not understand;
I was like a brute beast in your presence.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you take hold of my right hand.(A)
24 With your counsel you guide me,
and at the end receive me with honor.[a]
25 Whom else have I in the heavens?
None beside you delights me on earth.
26 Though my flesh and my heart fail,
God is the rock of my heart, my portion forever.
27 But those who are far from you perish;
you destroy those unfaithful to you.
28 As for me, to be near God is my good,
to make the Lord God my refuge.
I shall declare all your works
in the gates of daughter Zion.[b]
Chapter 22
1 A good name is more desirable than great riches,
and high esteem, than gold and silver.[a](A)
2 Rich and poor have a common bond:
the Lord is the maker of them all.(B)
3 The astute see an evil and hide,
while the naive continue on and pay the penalty.[b](C)
4 The result of humility and fear of the Lord
is riches, honor and life.[c]
5 Thorns and snares are on the path of the crooked;
those who would safeguard their lives will avoid them.
6 Train the young in the way they should go;
even when old, they will not swerve from it.[d]
7 The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.[e]
8 Those who sow iniquity reap calamity,(D)
and the rod used in anger will fail.[f]
9 The generous will be blessed,
for they share their food with the poor.
10 Expel the arrogant and discord goes too;
strife and insult cease.
11 The Lord loves the pure of heart;(E)
the person of winning speech has a king for a friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over the knowledgeable,
but he defeats the projects of the faithless.
13 The sluggard says, “A lion is outside;(F)
I might be slain in the street.”[g]
14 The mouth of the foreign woman is a deep pit;(G)
whoever incurs the Lord’s anger will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound to the heart of a youth,
but the rod of discipline will drive it out.[h]
16 Oppressing the poor for enrichment,
giving to the rich: both are sheer loss.[i]
IV. Sayings of the Wise[j]
17 The Words of the Wise:[k]
Incline your ear, and hear my words,(H)
and let your mind attend to my teaching;
18 For it will be well if you hold them within you,
if they all are ready on your lips.
19 That your trust may be in the Lord,
I make them known to you today—yes, to you.
20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings,
containing counsels and knowledge,
21 To teach you truly
how to give a dependable report to one who sends you?
9 Well, then, are we better off? Not entirely, for we have already brought the charge against Jews and Greeks alike that they are all under the domination of sin,(A) 10 as it is written:(B)
“There is no one just, not one,
11 there is no one who understands,
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have gone astray; all alike are worthless;
there is not one who does good,
[there is not] even one.
13 Their throats are open graves;
they deceive with their tongues;
the venom of asps is on their lips;(C)
14 their mouths are full of bitter cursing.(D)
15 Their feet are quick to shed blood;(E)
16 ruin and misery are in their ways,
17 and the way of peace they know not.
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.”(F)
19 Now we know that what the law[a] says is addressed to those under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world stand accountable to God,(G) 20 since no human being will be justified in his sight[b] by observing the law; for through the law comes consciousness of sin.(H)
III. Justification Through Faith in Christ
Justification Apart from the Law.[c]
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.