Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
21 When my heart was bitter,
when I was all cut up inside,
22 I was stupid and ignorant.
I acted like nothing but an animal toward you.
23 But I was still always with you!
You held my strong hand!
24 You have guided me with your advice;
later you will receive me with glory.
25 Do I have anyone else in heaven?
There’s nothing on earth I desire except you.
26 My body and my heart fail,
but God is my heart’s rock and my share forever.
27 Look! Those far from you die;
you annihilate all those who are unfaithful to you.
28 But me? It’s good for me to be near God.
I have taken my refuge in you, my Lord God,
so I can talk all about your works!
22 A good reputation is better than much wealth;
high esteem is better than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor have this in common:
the Lord made them both.
3 Prudent people see trouble and hide,
while the simpleminded go right to it and get punished.
4 The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord
is wealth, honor, and life.
5 Thorns and nets are in the path of the crooked;
those who guard their lives keep their distance.
6 Train children in the way they should go;
when they grow old, they won’t depart from it.
7 The wealthy rule over the poor;
a borrower is a slave to a lender.
8 Those who sow injustice will harvest evil;
the rod of their fury will come to an end.
9 Happy are generous people,
because they give some of their food to the poor.
10 Remove the mocker and conflict disappears;
judgment and shame also stop.
11 Those who love a pure heart—
their speech is gracious, and the king is their friend.
12 The Lord’s eyes protect knowledge,
but he frustrates the words of the treacherous.
13 A lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the street!
I’ll be killed in the town square!”
14 The mouth of a mysterious woman is a deep pit;
those under the Lord’s wrath will fall in it.
15 Folly is bound up in a child’s heart;
the rod of discipline removes it.
16 Oppressing the poor to get rich
and giving to the wealthy lead only to poverty.
Thirty sayings of the wise
17 Turn your ear and hear the words of the wise;
focus your mind on my knowledge.
18 It will be pleasant if you keep the words in you,
if you have them ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust will be in the Lord,
I’m teaching you today—yes, you.
20 Haven’t I written for you thirty[a] sayings
full of advice and knowledge?
21 Their purpose is to teach you true, reliable words,
so you can report back reliably to those who sent you.
All are under the power of sin
9 So what are we saying? Are we better off? Not at all. We have already stated the charge: both Jews and Greeks are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written,
There is no righteous person, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands.
There is no one who looks for God.
12 They all turned away.
They have become worthless together.
There is no one who shows kindness.
There is not even one.[a]
13 Their throat is a grave that has been opened.
They are deceitful with their tongues,
and the poison of vipers is under their lips.[b]
14 Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.[c]
15 Their feet are quick to shed blood;
16 destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 and they don’t know the way of peace.[d]
18 There is no fear of God in their view of the world.[e]
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, in order to shut every mouth and make it so the whole world has to answer to God. 20 It follows that no human being will be treated as righteous in his presence by doing what the Law says, because the knowledge of sin comes through the Law.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible