Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord the Strength of His People
A Song of Ascents.
125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
3 For (A)the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 As for such as turn aside to their (B)crooked ways,
The Lord shall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.
(C)Peace be upon Israel!
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
(A)And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have (B)taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, (C)your steps will not be hindered,
(D)And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
14 (E)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 (F)For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is [a]taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 (G)But the path of the just (H)is like the shining [b]sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 (I)The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of (J)life.
24 Put away from you a [c]deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your (K)feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.
12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for (A)not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the (B)work of the law written in their hearts, their (C)conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 (D)in the day when God will judge the secrets of men (E)by Jesus Christ, (F)according to my gospel.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.