Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

² But my feet had almost stumbled.
They had almost slipped
³ because I was envious of arrogant people
when I saw the prosperity that wicked people enjoy.

⁴ They suffer no pain.
Their bodies are healthy.
⁵ They have no drudgery in their lives like ordinary people.
They are not plagued ⌞with problems⌟ like others.
⁶ That is why they wear arrogance like a necklace
and acts of violence like clothing.
⁷ Their eyes peer out from their fat faces,
and their imaginations run wild.
⁸ They ridicule.
They speak maliciously.
They speak arrogantly about oppression.
⁹ They verbally attack heaven,
and they order people around on earth.
¹⁰ That is why God’s people turn to wickedness
and swallow their words.
¹¹ Then wicked people ask, “What does God know?”
“Does the Most High know anything?”
¹² Look how wicked they are!
They never have a worry.
They grow more and more wealthy.

¹³ I’ve received no reward for keeping my life pure
and washing my hands of any blame.
¹⁴ I’m plagued ⌞with problems⌟ all day long,
and every morning my punishment ⌞begins again⌟.
¹⁵ If I had said, “I will continue to talk like that,”
I would have betrayed God’s people.

¹⁶ But when I tried to understand this,
it was too difficult for me.
¹⁷ Only when I came into God’s holy place
did I ⌞finally⌟ understand what would happen to them.

¹⁸ You put them in slippery places
and make them fall into ruin.
¹⁹ They are suddenly destroyed.
They are completely swept away by terror!
²⁰ As ⌞someone⌟ gets rid of a dream when he wakes up,
so you, O Lord, get rid of the thought of them
when you wake up.

⁴ Riches are of no help on the day of fury,
but righteousness saves from death.
⁵ The righteousness of innocent people makes their road smooth,
but wicked people fall by their own wickedness.
⁶ Decent people are saved by their righteousness,
but treacherous people are trapped by their own greed.
⁷ At the death of a wicked person, hope vanishes.
Moreover, his confidence in strength vanishes.

⁸ A righteous person is rescued from trouble,
and a wicked person takes his place.
⁹ With his talk a godless person can ruin his neighbor,
but righteous people are rescued by knowledge.

¹⁰ When righteous people prosper, a city is glad.
When wicked people die, there are songs of joy.
¹¹ With the blessing of decent people a city is raised up,
but by the words of wicked people, it is torn down.

¹² A person who despises a neighbor has no sense,
but a person who has understanding keeps quiet.
¹³ Whoever gossips gives away secrets,
but whoever is trustworthy in spirit can keep a secret.
¹⁴ A nation will fall when there is no direction,
but with many advisers there is victory.
¹⁵ Whoever guarantees a stranger’s loan will get into trouble,
but whoever hates the closing of a deal remains secure.
¹⁶ A gracious woman wins respect,
but ruthless men gain riches.
¹⁷ A merciful person helps himself,
but a cruel person hurts himself.
¹⁸ A wicked person earns dishonest wages,
but whoever spreads righteousness earns honest pay.
¹⁹ As righteousness leads to life,
so whoever pursues evil finds his own death.

²⁰ Devious people are disgusting to the Lord,
but he is delighted with those whose ways are innocent.
²¹ Certainly, an evil person will not go unpunished,
but the descendants of righteous people will escape.
²² ⌞Like⌟ a gold ring in a pig’s snout,
⌞so⌟ is a beautiful woman who lacks good taste.
²³ The desire of righteous people ends only in good,
but the hope of wicked people ends only in fury.

²⁴ One person spends freely and yet grows richer,
while another holds back what he owes and yet grows poorer.
²⁵ A generous person will be made rich,
and whoever satisfies others will himself be satisfied.^[a]
26 People will curse the one who hoards grain,
but a blessing will be upon the head of the one who sells it.

²⁷ Whoever eagerly seeks good searches for good will,
but whoever looks for evil finds it.
²⁸ Whoever trusts his riches will fall,
but righteous people will flourish like a green leaf.
²⁹ Whoever brings trouble upon his family inherits ⌞only⌟ wind,
and that stubborn fool becomes a slave to the wise in heart.
³⁰ The fruit of a righteous person is a tree of life,
and a winner of souls is wise.
³¹ If the righteous person is rewarded on earth,
how much more the wicked person and the sinner!