Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 14[a]
A Lament over Widespread Corruption
1 For the leader. Of David.
I
The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
Their deeds are loathsome and corrupt;
not one does what is good.(A)
2 The Lord looks down from heaven
upon the children of men,(B)
To see if even one is wise,
if even one seeks God.(C)
3 All have gone astray;
all alike are perverse.
Not one does what is good,
not even one.(D)
II
4 Will these evildoers never learn?
They devour my people as they devour bread;(E)
they do not call upon the Lord.(F)
5 They have good reason, then, to fear;
God is with the company of the just.
6 They would crush the hopes of the poor,
but the poor have the Lord as their refuge.
III
Jerusalem’s Disgrace
20 Lift up your eyes and see
those coming in from the north.
Where is the flock entrusted to you,
your splendid sheep?(A)
21 What will you say when rulers are appointed over you,
those you taught to be allies?
Will not pains seize you
like those of a woman giving birth?(B)
22 If you say to yourself:
“Why have these things happened to me?”
For your great guilt your skirts are stripped away
and you are violated.(C)
23 Can Ethiopians change their skin,
leopards their spots?
As easily would you be able to do good,
accustomed to evil as you are.(D)
24 I will scatter them like chaff that flies
on the desert wind.(E)
25 This is your lot, the portion I have measured out to you—
oracle of the Lord.
Because you have forgotten me,
and trusted in deception,[a](F)
26 I now will strip away your skirts,
so that your shame is visible.(G)
27 Your adulteries, your neighings,
your shameless prostitutions:
On the hills, in the fields
I see your detestable crimes.
Woe to you, Jerusalem! How long will it be
before you are clean?(H)
I. Address
Chapter 1
Greeting.[a] 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,(A) 2 to Timothy, my true child in faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.(B)
II. Sound Teaching
Warning Against False Doctrine. 3 [b]I repeat the request I made of you when I was on my way to Macedonia,(C) that you stay in Ephesus to instruct certain people not to teach false doctrines 4 [c]or to concern themselves with myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the plan of God that is to be received by faith.(D) 5 The aim of this instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.(E) 6 Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk,(F) 7 wanting to be teachers of the law, but without understanding either what they are saying or what they assert with such assurance.
8 [d]We know that the law is good, provided that one uses it as law,(G) 9 with the understanding that law is meant not for a righteous person but for the lawless and unruly, the godless and sinful, the unholy and profane, those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers, 10 the unchaste, sodomites,[e] kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching,(H) 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.(I)
Gratitude for God’s Mercy.[f]
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.