Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
19 The heavens tell about the glory of God.
The skies show that his hands created them.
2 Day after day they speak about it.
Night after night they make it known.
3 But they don’t speak or use words.
No sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into the whole earth.
Their words go out from one end of the world to the other.
God has set up a tent in the heavens for the sun.
5 The sun is like a groom leaving the room of his wedding night.
The sun is like a great runner who takes delight in running a race.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens.
Then it moves across to the other end.
Everything enjoys its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect.
It gives us new strength.
The laws of the Lord can be trusted.
They make childish people wise.
8 The rules of the Lord are right.
They give joy to our hearts.
The commands of the Lord shine brightly.
They give light to our minds.
9 The law that brings respect for the Lord is pure.
It lasts forever.
The commands the Lord gives are true.
All of them are completely right.
10 They are more priceless than gold.
They have greater value than huge amounts of pure gold.
They are sweeter than honey
that is taken from the honeycomb.
11 Your servant is warned by them.
When people obey them, they are greatly rewarded.
12 But who can know their own mistakes?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Also keep me from the sins I want to commit.
May they not be my master.
Then I will be without blame.
I will not be guilty of any great sin against your law.
14 Lord, may these words of my mouth please you.
And may these thoughts of my heart please you also.
You are my Rock and my Redeemer.
Laws About Mercy and Fairness
23 “Do not spread reports that are false. Do not help a guilty person by telling lies in court.
2 “Do not follow the crowd when they do what is wrong. When you are a witness in court, do not turn what is right into what is wrong. Do not go along with the crowd. 3 Do not show favor to a poor person in court.
4 “Suppose you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering away. Then be sure to return it. 5 Suppose you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has fallen down under its load. Then do not leave it there. Be sure you help them with it.
6 “Be fair to your poor people in their court cases. 7 Do not have anything to do with a false charge. Do not put to death people not guilty of doing anything wrong. I will not let guilty people go free.
8 “Do not take money from people who want special favors. It makes you blind to the truth. It twists the words of good people.
9 “Do not treat outsiders badly. You yourselves know how it feels to be outsiders. Remember, you were outsiders in Egypt.
Freedom From Human Rules
16 So don’t let anyone judge you because of what you eat or drink. Don’t let anyone judge you about holy days. I’m talking about special feasts and New Moons and Sabbath days. 17 They are only a shadow of the things to come. But what is real is found in Christ. 18 Some people enjoy pretending they aren’t proud. They worship angels. But don’t let people like that judge you. These people tell you every little thing about what they have seen. They are proud of their useless ideas. That’s because their minds are not guided by the Holy Spirit. 19 They aren’t connected anymore to the head, who is Christ. But the whole body grows from the head. The muscles and tendons hold the body together. And God causes it to grow.
20 Some people still follow the basic spiritual powers of the world. But you died with Christ as far as these powers are concerned. So why do you act as if you still belong to the world? Here are the rules you follow. 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” 22 Rules like these are about things that will pass away soon. They are based on merely human rules and teachings. 23 It is true that these rules seem wise. Because of them, people give themselves over to their own kind of worship. They pretend they are humble. They treat their bodies very badly. But rules like these don’t help. They don’t stop people from chasing after sinful pleasures.
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