Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Foolishness and Wickedness of People.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
14 The fool has (A)said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed detestable acts;
There is (B)no one who does good.
2 The Lord has (C)looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind
To see if there are any who [a](D)understand,
Who (E)seek God.
3 They have all (F)turned aside, together they are corrupt;
There is (G)no one who does good, not even one.
20 “Raise your eyes and see
Those coming (A)from the north.
Where is the (B)flock that was given you,
Your beautiful sheep?
21 What will you say when He appoints over you—
And you yourself had taught them—
Former (C)companions to be head over you?
Will (D)sharp pains not take hold of you
Like a woman in childbirth?
22 If you (E)say in your heart,
‘(F)Why have these things happened to me?’
Because of the (G)magnitude of your wrongdoing
(H)Your skirts have been removed
And your [a]heels have suffered violence.
23 (I)Can the Ethiopian change his skin,
Or the leopard his spots?
Then you as well can (J)do good
Who are accustomed to doing evil.
24 Therefore I will (K)scatter them like drifting straw
To the desert (L)wind.
25 This is your (M)lot, the portion measured to you
From Me,” declares the Lord,
“Because you have (N)forgotten Me
And trusted in falsehood.
26 So I Myself have (O)stripped your skirts off over your face,
So that your shame will be seen.
27 As for your (P)adulteries and your lustful neighings,
The (Q)outrageous sin of your prostitution
On the (R)hills in the field,
I have seen your abominations.
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
(S)How long will you remain unclean?”
Correcting False Teaching
1 Paul, (A)an apostle of (B)Christ Jesus (C)according to the commandment of (D)God our Savior, and of (E)Christ Jesus, who is our (F)hope,
2 To (G)Timothy, (H)my true [a]son in the faith: (I)Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and (J)Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 Just as I urged you [b]upon my departure for (K)Macedonia, to remain on at (L)Ephesus so that you would instruct certain people not to (M)teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to [c]pay attention to (N)myths and endless (O)genealogies, which give rise to useless (P)speculation rather than (Q)advance [d]the plan of God, which is by faith, so I urge you now. 5 But the goal of our [e](R)instruction is love (S)from a pure heart, from a (T)good conscience, and from a sincere (U)faith. 6 Some people have strayed from these things and have turned aside to (V)fruitless discussion, 7 (W)wanting to be (X)teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
8 But we know that (Y)the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 realizing the fact that (Z)law is not made for a righteous person but for those who are lawless and (AA)rebellious, for the (AB)ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and (AC)worldly, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the [f](AD)sexually immoral, (AE)homosexuals, [g](AF)slave traders, (AG)liars, (AH)perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to (AI)sound teaching, 11 according to (AJ)the glorious gospel of (AK)the blessed God, with which I have been (AL)entrusted.
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