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!

⁴ Remove the dross from the silver,
    and a vessel will come out for the refiner.
⁵ Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶ Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
    or stand in the place of important people,
⁷     because it is better that he say to you,
    “Come up here,”
    than to be demoted before a ruler.

What your eyes see, ⁸ don’t be quick to quarrel over;
    what will you do in the future when your neighbor shames you?
⁹ Argue it out with your neighbor,
    and don’t give away someone’s secret.
¹⁰ Otherwise, the one who hears it will vilify you;
    the slander against you will never stop.

¹¹ Words spoken at the right time
    are like gold apples in a silver setting.
¹² Wise correction to an ear that listens
    is like a gold earring or jewelry of fine gold.

¹³ Like the coolness of snow on a harvest day
    are reliable messengers to those who send them;
    they restore the life of their master.
¹⁴ People who brag about a gift never given
    are like clouds and wind that produce no rain.
¹⁵ A commander can be persuaded with patience,
    and a tender tongue can break a bone.
¹⁶ If you find honey, eat just the right amount;
    otherwise, you’ll get full and vomit it up.
¹⁷ Don’t spend too much time in your neighbor’s house.
    Otherwise, they’ll get fed up with you and hate you.
¹⁸ People who testify falsely against their neighbors
    are like a club, sword, and sharpened arrow.
¹⁹ Trusting a treacherous person at a difficult time
    is like having a bad tooth or a wobbly foot.
²⁰ Singing a song to a troubled heart
    is like taking off a garment on a cold day
    or putting vinegar on a wound.^[a]
21 If your enemies are starving, feed them some bread;
    if they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
²² By doing this, you will heap burning coals on their heads,
    and the Lord will reward you.
²³ The north wind stirs up rain,
    and a person who plots quietly provokes angry faces.
²⁴ Better to live on the edge of a roof
    than to share a house with a contentious woman.
²⁵ Good news from a distant land
    is like cold water for a weary person.
²⁶ A righteous person giving in to the wicked
    is like a contaminated spring or a polluted fountain.
²⁷ Eating too much honey isn’t good,
    nor is it appropriate to seek honor.
²⁸ A person without self-control
    is like a breached city, one with no walls.