Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Virtuous Wife
10 (A)Who[a] can find a [b]virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 (B)She also rises while it is yet night,
And (C)provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From [c]her profits she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
20 (D)She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 (E)Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.
BOOK ONE
Psalms 1–41
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
1 Blessed (A)is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the [a]ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
(B)Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But (C)his delight is in the law of the Lord,
(D)And in His law he [b]meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
(E)Planted by the [c]rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall (F)prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,
But are (G)like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For (H)the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom
13 (A)Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have (B)bitter envy and [a]self-seeking in your hearts, (C)do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 (D)This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For (E)where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But (F)the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, (G)without partiality (H)and without hypocrisy. 18 (I)Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Pride Promotes Strife
4 Where do [b]wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure (J)that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and [c]war. [d]Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 (K)You ask and do not receive, (L)because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection
30 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. 31 (A)For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will (B)kill Him. And after He is killed, He will (C)rise the third day.” 32 But they (D)did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.
Who Is the Greatest?(E)
33 (F)Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you [a]disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had (G)disputed among themselves who would be the (H)greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, (I)“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then (J)He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and (K)whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.