Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was stupid and ignorant;
I was like a brute beast toward you.(A)
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me with honor.[a](B)
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.(C)
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength[b] of my heart and my portion forever.(D)
22 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.(A)
2 The rich and the poor have this in common:
the Lord is the maker of them all.
3 The clever see danger and hide,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
is riches and honor and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
the cautious will keep far from them.(B)
6 Train children in the right way,
and when old, they will not stray.(C)
7 The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.(D)
8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
and the rod of anger will fail.(E)
9 Those who are generous are blessed,
for they share their bread with the poor.(F)
10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out;
quarreling and abuse will cease.(G)
11 Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech
will have the king as a friend.(H)
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he overthrows the words of the faithless.(I)
13 The lazy person says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be killed in the streets!”(J)
14 The mouth of a loose woman[a] is a deep pit;
he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline drives it far away.(K)
16 Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,
and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.
Sayings of the Wise
17 The words of the wise:
Incline your ear and hear my words[b]
and apply your mind to my teaching,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, yes, to you.(L)
20 Have I not written for you thirty[c] sayings
of admonition and knowledge,(M)
21 to show you what is right and true,
so that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?(N)
None Is Righteous
9 What then? Are we any better off?[a] No, not at all, for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin,(A) 10 as it is written:
“There is no one who is righteous, not even one;(B)
11 there is no one who has understanding;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
there is no one who shows kindness;
there is not even one.”
13 “Their throats are opened graves;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of vipers is under their lips.”(C)
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;(D)
16 ruin and misery are in their paths,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that, whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.(E) 20 For no human will be justified before him by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.(F)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.