Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Wisdom Calls, But Who Listens?
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the streets,
she raises her voice in public squares.
21 She cries out above the commotion.
At the entrances of the city gates, she utters her speech:
22 “How long will you naïve ones love simplicity,
you scoffers delight in scoffing,
and you fools hate knowledge?
23 You are repulsed at my rebuke.
Behold, I pour out my heart to you.
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because you refused when I called,
and did not pay attention when I stretched out my hand,
25 since you ignore all my advice
and would not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh at your calamity.
I will mock when dread comes on you,
27 when your terror comes like a storm
and your calamity sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when trouble and distress overwhelm you!
28 Then they will cry out to me, but I will not answer!
They will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of Adonai,
30 they would not accept my counsel,
they spurned all my reproof,
31 so they will eat the fruit of their own way
and be filled with their own schemes.
32 For the backsliding of the naïve will kill them
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoever pays attention to me will live securely,
and be free from the fear of evil.”
Glory from Heaven and Torah
Psalm 19
1 For the music director, a psalm of David.
2 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky shows His handiwork.
3 Day to day they speak,
night to night they reveal knowledge.
4 There is no speech, no words,
where their voice goes unheard.
5 Their voice has gone out to all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.[a]
In the heavens He pitched a tent for the sun.
6 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his bridal chamber.
It is like a strong man rejoicing to run his course.
7 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other end.
Nothing is hidden from its heat.
8 The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the soul.
The testimony of Adonai is trustworthy,
making the simple wise.
9 The precepts of Adonai are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The mitzvot of Adonai are pure,
giving light to the eyes.
10 The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The judgments of Adonai are true
and altogether righteous.
11 They are more desirable than gold,
yes, more than much pure gold!
They are sweeter than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
12 Moreover by them Your servant is warned.
In keeping them there is great reward.
13 Who can discern his errors?
Cleanse me of hidden faults.
14 Also keep Your servant from willful sins.
May they not have dominion over me.
Then I will be blameless,
free from great transgression.
15 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable before You,
Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Dangerous Tongue
3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, since you know that we will receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole body as well. 4 See also the ships—though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member—yet it boasts of great things.[a] See how so small a fire sets a blaze so great a forest! 6 And the tongue is a fire.[b] The tongue is a world of evil placed among our body parts. It pollutes the whole body and sets on fire the course of life—and is set on fire by Gehenna.
7 For every species of beasts and birds, reptiles and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. [c] 9 With it we bless our Adonai and Father, and with it we curse people, who are made in the image of God. [d] 10 From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be. 11 A spring doesn’t pour out fresh and bitter water from the same opening, does it? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can salt water produce fresh water.
27 Now Yeshua and His disciples went out to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
28 They told Him, “John the Immerser; and others Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.”[a]
29 Then He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered Him, “You are the Messiah!” 30 And He warned them not to tell anyone about Him.
Revealing the Mission
31 Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and ruling kohanim and Torah scholars, and be killed, and after three days rise again. [b] 32 He was speaking openly about this. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter. He said, “Get behind Me, satan! You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but the things of men.”
34 Then He called the crowd, along with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and keep following Me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 For what could a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels!”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.