Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Praise God Who Helps His People
147 Praise the Lord!
It is good to sing praises to our God;
it is good and pleasant to praise him.
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;
he brings back the captured Israelites.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the stars
and names each one.
5 Our Lord is great and very powerful.
There is no limit to what he knows.
6 The Lord defends the humble,
but he throws the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing praises to the Lord;
praise our God with harps.
8 He fills the sky with clouds
and sends rain to the earth
and makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives food to cattle
and to the little birds that call.
10 He is not impressed with the strength of a horse
or with human might.
11 The Lord is pleased with those who respect him,
with those who trust his love.
20 He didn’t do this for any other nation.
They don’t know his laws.
Praise the Lord!
10 Good people take care of their animals,
but even the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
11 Those who work their land will have plenty of food,
but the one who chases empty dreams is not wise.
12 The wicked want what other evil people have stolen,
but good people want to give what they have to others.
13 Evil people are trapped by their evil talk,
but good people stay out of trouble.
14 People will be rewarded for what they say,
and they will also be rewarded for what they do.
15 Fools think they are doing right,
but the wise listen to advice.
16 Fools quickly show that they are upset,
but the wise ignore insults.
17 An honest witness tells the truth,
but a dishonest witness tells lies.
18 Careless words stab like a sword,
but wise words bring healing.
19 Truth will continue forever,
but lies are only for a moment.
20 Those who plan evil are full of lies,
but those who plan peace are happy.
21 No harm comes to a good person,
but an evil person’s life is full of trouble.
2 Listen, I Paul tell you that if you go back to the law by being circumcised, Christ does you no good. 3 Again, I warn every man: If you allow yourselves to be circumcised, you must follow all the law. 4 If you try to be made right with God through the law, your life with Christ is over—you have left God’s grace. 5 But we have the true hope that comes from being made right with God, and by the Spirit we wait eagerly for this hope. 6 When we are in Christ Jesus, it is not important if we are circumcised or not. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.
7 You were running a good race. Who stopped you from following the true way? 8 This change did not come from the One who chose you. 9 Be careful! “Just a little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise.” 10 But I trust in the Lord that you will not believe those different ideas. Whoever is confusing you with such ideas will be punished.
11 My brothers and sisters, I do not teach that a man must be circumcised. If I teach circumcision, why am I still being attacked? If I still taught circumcision, my preaching about the cross would not be a problem. 12 I wish the people who are bothering you would castrate[a] themselves!
13 My brothers and sisters, God called you to be free, but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do what pleases your sinful self. Serve each other with love. 14 The whole law is made complete in this one command: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”[b] 15 If you go on hurting each other and tearing each other apart, be careful, or you will completely destroy each other.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.