Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord Surrounds His People.
A Song of Ascents.
125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion, which (A)cannot be moved but (B)remains forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So (C)the Lord surrounds His people
(D)From this time and forever.
3 For the (E)scepter of wickedness will not rest upon the [a]land of the righteous,
So that the righteous (F)will not extend their hands to do wrong.
The Usefulness of Proverbs
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon (B)the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know (C)wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of (D)understanding,
3 To (E)receive instruction in wise behavior,
(F)Righteousness, justice, and integrity;
4 To give (G)prudence to the naive,
To the youth (H)knowledge and discretion,
5 A wise person will hear and (I)increase in learning,
And a (J)person of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a saying,
The words of the wise and their (K)riddles.
7 (L)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (M)Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And (N)do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
9 For they are a (O)graceful wreath for your head
And (P)necklaces for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (Q)entice you,
(R)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let’s (S)lie in wait for blood,
Let’s (T)ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let’s (U)swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, like those who (V)go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with plunder;
14 Throw in your lot [a]with us;
We will all have one money bag,”
15 My son, (W)do not walk on the way with them.
(X)Keep your feet from their path,
16 For (Y)their feet run to evil,
And they are quick to shed blood.
17 Indeed, it is [b]useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any [c]bird;
18 But they (Z)lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who (AA)makes unjust gain;
It takes away the life of its possessors.
The Impartiality of God
2 Therefore you have (A)no excuse, [a]you foolish person, (B)everyone of you who passes judgment; for [b]in that matter in which (C)you judge someone else, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God [c]rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, [d](D)you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of (E)the riches of His (F)kindness and [e](G)restraint and (H)patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But [f]because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart (I)you are storing up wrath for yourself (J)on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 (K)who will repay each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by (L)perseverance in doing good seek (M)glory, honor, and (N)immortality, He will give (O)eternal life; 8 but to those who are (P)self-serving and (Q)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, He will give wrath and indignation. 9 There will be (R)tribulation and distress [g]for every soul of mankind who does evil, [h]for the Jew (S)first and also [i]for the Greek, 10 but (T)glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew (U)first and also to the Greek. 11 For (V)there is no partiality with God.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.