Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
BOOK THREE
(Psalms 73–89)
A psalm by Asaph.
73 God is truly good to Israel,
to those whose lives are pure.
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.
Wise People Live Righteously
14 The wisest of women builds up her home,
but a stupid one tears it down with her own hands.
2 Whoever lives right fears the Lord,
but a person who is devious in his ways despises him.
3 Because of a stubborn fool’s words a whip is lifted against him,
but wise people are protected by their speech.
4 Where there are no cattle, the feeding trough is empty,
but the strength of an ox produces plentiful harvests.
5 A trustworthy witness does not lie,
but a dishonest witness breathes lies.
6 A mocker searches for wisdom without finding it,
but knowledge comes easily to a person who has understanding.
7 Stay away from a fool,
because you will not receive knowledge from his lips.
8 The wisdom of a sensible person guides his way of life,
but the stupidity of fools misleads them.
9 Stubborn fools make fun of guilt,
but there is forgiveness among decent people.
Jesus Cures a Demon-Possessed Boy(A)
14 When they came to a crowd, a man came up to Jesus, knelt in front of him, 15 and said, “Sir, have mercy on my son. He suffers from seizures. Often he falls into fire or water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t cure him.”
17 Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and corrupt generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!”
18 Jesus ordered the demon to come out of the boy. At that moment the boy was cured.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we force the demon out of the boy?”
20 He told them, “Because you have so little faith. I can guarantee this truth: If your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [a]
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