Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
125 (0) A song of ascents:
(1) Those who trust in Adonai
are like Mount Tziyon,
which cannot be moved
but remains forever.
2 Yerushalayim!
Mountains all around it!
Thus Adonai is around his people
henceforth and forever.
3 For the scepter of wickedness
will not rule the inheritance of the righteous,
so that the righteous will not themselves
turn their hands to evil.
4 Do good, Adonai, to the good,
to those upright in their hearts.
5 But as for those who turn aside
to their own crooked ways,
may Adonai turn them away,
along with those who do evil.
Shalom on Isra’el!
1 The proverbs of Shlomo the son of David,
king of Isra’el,
2 are for learning about wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words expressing deep insight;
3 for gaining an intelligently disciplined life,
doing what is right, just and fair;
4 for endowing with caution those who don’t think
and the young person with knowledge and discretion.
5 Someone who is already wise
will hear and learn still more;
someone who already understands
will gain the ability to counsel well;
6 he will understand proverbs, obscure expressions,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of Adonai is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 My son, heed the discipline of your father,
and do not abandon the teaching of your mother;
9 they will be a garland to grace your head,
a medal of honor for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
don’t go along with them.
11 Suppose they say, “Come with us:
we’ll ambush somebody and kill him,
we’ll waylay some harmless soul, just for fun;
12 we’ll swallow him alive, like Sh’ol,
whole, like those who descend to the pit;
13 we’ll find everything he has of value,
we’ll fill our homes with loot!
14 Throw in your lot with us;
we’ll share a common purse” —
15 my son, don’t go along with them,
don’t set foot on their path;
16 Their feet run to evil,
they rush to shed blood.
17 For in vain is the net baited
if any bird can see it;
18 rather, they are ambushing themselves
to shed their own blood, waylaying themselves.
19 So are the ways of all greedy for gain —
it takes the lives of those who get it.
2 Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, passing judgment; for when you judge someone else, you are passing judgment against yourself; since you who are judging do the same things he does. 2 We know that God’s judgment lands impartially on those who do such things; 3 do you think that you, a mere man passing judgment on others who do such things, yet doing them yourself, will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or perhaps you despise the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience; because you don’t realize that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to turn from your sins. 5 But by your stubbornness, by your unrepentant heart, you are storing up anger for yourself on the Day of Anger, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed; 6 for he will pay back each one according to his deeds.[a] 7 To those who seek glory, honor and immortality by perseverance in doing good, he will pay back eternal life. 8 But to those who are self-seeking, who disobey the truth and obey evil, he will pay back wrath and anger.
9 Yes, he will pay back misery and anguish to every human being who does evil, to the Jew first, then to the Gentile; 10 but glory and honor and shalom to everyone who keeps doing what is good, to the Jew first, then to the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.