Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
21 When my (A)heart was embittered
And I was (B)pierced [a]within,
22 Then I was (C)stupid and ignorant;
I was like an (D)animal [b]before You.
23 Nevertheless (E)I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 You will (F)guide me with Your plan,
And afterward (G)receive me [c]to glory.
25 (H)Whom do I have in heaven but You?
And with You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My (I)flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the [d]strength of my heart and my (J)portion forever.
27 For, behold, (K)those who are far from You will (L)perish;
You have destroyed all those who [e](M)are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, (N)the nearness of God is good for me;
I have made the Lord [f]God my (O)refuge,
So that I may (P)tell of all Your works.
Similitudes and Instructions
25 These also are (A)proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2 It is the glory of God to (B)conceal a matter,
But the glory of (C)kings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the [a](D)impurities from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the (E)smith;
5 Take away the (F)wicked before the king,
And his (G)throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not boast in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the same place [b]as great people;
7 For (H)it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out (I)hastily to [c]argue your case;
[d]Otherwise, what will you do in [e]the end,
When your neighbor humiliates you?
9 [f](J)Argue your case with your neighbor,
And (K)do not reveal the secret of another,
10 Or one who hears it will put you to shame,
And the evil report about you will not [g]pass away.
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver,
Is a (L)word spoken at [h]the proper time.
12 Like [i]an (M)earring of gold and a (N)jewelry piece of (O)fine gold,
Is a wise person who offers rebukes to a (P)listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the [j]time of harvest
Is a (Q)faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like (R)clouds and (S)wind without rain
Is a person who boasts [k]of his gifts falsely.
15 Through [l](T)patience a ruler may be persuaded,
And a gentle tongue breaks bone.
16 Have you (U)found honey? Eat only [m]what you need,
So that you do not have it in excess and vomit it.
17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become [n]weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club, a (V)sword, and a sharp (W)arrow
Is a person who gives (X)false testimony against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth and [o]an unsteady foot
Is confidence in a (Y)treacherous person in time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on [p]soda,
Is one who sings songs to [q]a troubled heart.
21 (Z)If [r]your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will [s]heap burning coals on his head,
And (AA)the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain,
And a [t](AB)gossiping tongue brings an angry face.
24 It is (AC)better to live on a corner of the roof,
Than [u]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is (AD)good news from a distant land.
26 Like a (AE)trampled spring and a [v]polluted well,
So is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glory to (AF)search out [w]one’s own glory.
28 Like a (AG)city that is broken into and without walls
So is a person (AH)who has no self-control over his spirit.
Put On the New Self
3 Therefore, if you have been (A)raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, (B)seated at the right hand of God. 2 [a](C)Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have (D)died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, (E)who is our life, is revealed, (F)then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
5 (G)Therefore, [b]treat (H)the parts of your earthly body as dead to (I)sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which [c]amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that (J)the wrath of God is coming [d]upon the [e]sons of disobedience, 7 and (K)in them you also once walked, when you were living [f]in them. 8 But now you also, (L)rid yourselves of all of them: (M)anger, wrath, malice, slander, and (N)obscene speech from your mouth. 9 [g](O)Do not lie to one another, since you (P)stripped off the old [h]self with its evil practices, 10 and have (Q)put on the new self, which is being [i](R)renewed to a true knowledge (S)according to the image of the One who (T)created it— 11 a renewal in which (U)there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, (V)circumcised and uncircumcised, [j](W)barbarian, [k]Scythian, (X)slave, and free, but (Y)Christ is all, and in all.
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