Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the Lord
A Psalm of David.
2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the (B)truth in his heart;
3 He who (C)does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
(D)Nor does he [b]take up a reproach against his friend;
4 (E)In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who (F)swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things (G)shall never be moved.
17 (A)“You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the fatherless, (B)nor take a widow’s garment as a pledge. 18 But (C)you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing.
19 (D)“When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may (E)bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.
Laws of Social Responsibility
25 “If there is a (F)dispute between men, and they come to [a]court, that the judges may judge them, and they (G)justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, 2 then it shall be, if the wicked man (H)deserves to be beaten, that the judge will cause him to lie down (I)and be beaten in his presence, according to his guilt, with a certain number of blows. 3 (J)Forty blows he may give him and no more, lest he should exceed this and beat him with many blows above these, and your brother (K)be humiliated in your sight.
4 (L)“You shall not muzzle an ox while it [b]treads out the grain.
Honor the Elders
17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18 For the Scripture says, (A)“You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, (B)“The laborer is worthy of his wages.” 19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except (C)from two or three witnesses. 20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.
21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the [a]elect angels that you observe these things without (D)prejudice, doing nothing with partiality. 22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor (E)share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.
23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent [b]infirmities.
24 Some men’s sins are (F)clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.