Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁵ The Lord says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, who trusts in the flesh for his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. ⁶ For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when good comes. He will live in dry wastes in the desert, in a land of salt where no other people live. ⁷ Good will come to the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. ⁸ He will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the river. It will not be afraid when the heat comes but its leaves will be green. It will not be troubled in a dry year, or stop giving fruit.

⁹ “The heart is fooled more than anything else, and is very sinful. Who can know how bad it is? ¹⁰ I the Lord look into the heart, and test the mind. I give to each man what he should have because of his ways and because of the fruit that comes from his works.

The Difference between Good and Sinful People

1 Happy is the man who does not walk in the way sinful men tell him to, or stand in the path of sinners, or sit with those who laugh at the truth. ² But he finds joy in the Law of the Lord and thinks about His Law day and night. ³ This man is like a tree planted by rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time and its leaf never dries up. Whatever he does will work out well for him.

⁴ Sinful men are not like this. They are like straw blown away by the wind. ⁵ So the sinful will not stand. They will be told they are guilty and have to suffer for it. Sinners will not stand with those who are right with God. ⁶ For the Lord knows the way of those who are right with Him. But the way of the sinful will be lost from God forever.

We Will Be Raised from the Dead Also

¹² We preached to you that Christ has been raised from the dead. But some of you say that people are not raised from the dead. Why do you say this? ¹³ If the dead are not raised, then Christ was not raised from the dead. ¹⁴ If Christ was not raised from the dead, then what we preach to you is worth nothing. Your faith in Christ is worth nothing. ¹⁵ That makes us all liars because we said that God raised Christ from the dead. But God did not raise Christ from the dead if the dead do not come to life again. ¹⁶ If the dead are not raised, then not even Christ was raised from the dead. ¹⁷ If Christ was not raised from the dead, your faith is worth nothing and you are still living in your sins. ¹⁸ Then the Christians who have already died are lost in sin. ¹⁹ If we have hope in Christ in this life only, we are more sad than anyone else.

²⁰ But it is true! Christ has been raised from the dead! He was the first One to be raised from the dead and all those who are in graves will follow.

Jesus Heals Many People ^(A)

¹⁷ Then Jesus came down and stood on a plain with many of His followers. Many people came from the country of Judea and from Jerusalem and from the cities of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. ¹⁸ Those who were troubled with demons came and were healed. ¹⁹ All the people tried to put their hands on Jesus. Power came from Him and He healed them all.

Jesus Teaches on the Mountain ^(B)

²⁰ He looked at His followers and said, “Those of you who are poor are happy, because the holy nation of God is yours. ²¹ Those of you who are hungry now are happy, because you will be filled. Those of you who have sorrow now are happy, because you will laugh. ²² You are happy when men hate you and do not want you around and put shame on you because you trust in Me. ²³ Be glad in that day. Be full of joy for your reward is much in heaven. Their fathers did these things to the early preachers.

²⁴ “It is bad for you who are rich. You are receiving all that you will get. ²⁵ It is bad for you who are full. You will be hungry. It is bad for you who laugh now. You will have sorrow and you will cry. ²⁶ It is bad for you when everyone speaks well of you. In the same way, their fathers spoke well of the false teachers.