Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
21 When my (A)heart was embittered
And I was (B)pierced [a]within,
22 Then I was (C)senseless and ignorant;
I was like [b]a (D)beast [c]before You.
23 Nevertheless (E)I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will (F)guide me,
And afterward (G)receive me [d]to glory.
25 (H)Whom have I in heaven but You?
And [e]besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My (I)flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the [f]strength of my heart and my (J)portion forever.
27 For, behold, (K)those who are far from You will (L)perish;
You have [g]destroyed all those who [h](M)are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, (N)the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord [i]God my (O)refuge,
That I may (P)tell of all Your works.
Similitudes, Instructions
25 These also are (A)proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2 It is the glory of God to (B)conceal a matter,
But the glory of (C)kings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the (D)dross from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the (E)smith;
5 Take away the (F)wicked before the king,
And his (G)throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not claim honor in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of great men;
7 For (H)it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out (I)hastily to [a]argue your case;
[b]Otherwise, what will you do in [c]the end,
When your neighbor humiliates you?
9 [d](J)Argue your case with your neighbor,
And (K)do not reveal the secret of another,
10 Or he who hears it will reproach you,
And the evil report about you will not [e]pass away.
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver
Is a (L)word spoken in [f]right circumstances.
12 Like [g]an (M)earring of gold and an (N)ornament of (O)fine gold
Is a wise reprover to a (P)listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the [h]time of harvest
Is a (Q)faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like (R)clouds and (S)wind without rain
Is a man who boasts [i]of his gifts falsely.
15 By [j](T)forbearance a ruler may be persuaded,
And a soft tongue breaks the bone.
16 Have you (U)found honey? Eat only [k]what you need,
That you not have it in excess and vomit it.
17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become [l]weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club and a (V)sword and a sharp (W)arrow
Is a man who bears (X)false witness against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth and [m]an unsteady foot
Is confidence in a (Y)faithless man in time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on [n]soda,
Is he who sings songs to [o]a troubled heart.
21 (Z)If [p]your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will [q]heap burning coals on his head,
And (AA)the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings forth rain,
And a [r](AB)backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.
24 It is (AC)better to live in a corner of the roof
Than [s]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is (AD)good news from a distant land.
26 Like a (AE)trampled spring and a [t]polluted well
Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glory to (AF)search out [u]one’s own glory.
28 Like a (AG)city that is broken into and without walls
Is a man (AH)who has no control over his spirit.
Put On the New Self
3 Therefore if you have been (A)raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, (B)seated at the right hand of God. 2 [a](C)Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have (D)died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, (E)who is our life, is revealed, (F)then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
5 (G)Therefore [b]consider (H)the members of your earthly body as dead to [c](I)immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which [d]amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that (J)the wrath of God will come [e]upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and (K)in them you also once walked, when you were living [f]in them. 8 But now you also, (L)put them all aside: (M)anger, wrath, malice, slander, and (N)abusive speech from your mouth. 9 [g](O)Do not lie to one another, since you (P)laid aside the old [h]self with its evil practices, 10 and have (Q)put on the new self who is being [i](R)renewed to a true knowledge (S)according to the image of the One who (T)created him— 11 a renewal in which (U)there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, (V)circumcised and uncircumcised, [j](W)barbarian, Scythian, (X)slave and freeman, but (Y)Christ is all, and in all.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.