Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
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.
20 Lift up your eyes and see
Those who come from the (A)north.
Where is the flock that was given to you,
Your beautiful sheep?
21 What will you say when He punishes you?
For you have taught them
To be chieftains, to be head over you.
Will not (B)pangs seize you,
Like a woman in [a]labor?
22 And if you say in your heart,
(C)“Why have these things come upon me?”
For the greatness of your iniquity
(D)Your skirts have been uncovered,
Your heels [b]made bare.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?
Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.
24 “Therefore I will (E)scatter them (F)like stubble
That passes away by the wind of the wilderness.
25 (G)This is your lot,
The portion of your measures from Me,” says the Lord,
“Because you have forgotten Me
And trusted in (H)falsehood.
26 Therefore (I)I will uncover your skirts over your face,
That your shame may appear.
27 I have seen your adulteries
And your lustful (J)neighings,
The lewdness of your harlotry,
Your abominations (K)on the hills in the fields.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
Will you still not be made clean?”
17 And if you call on the Father, who (A)without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your [a]stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with [b]corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but (B)with the precious blood of Christ, (C)as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 (D)He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was [c]manifest (E)in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, (F)who raised Him from the dead and (G)gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
The Enduring Word
22 Since you (H)have purified your souls in obeying the truth [d]through the Spirit in [e]sincere (I)love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 (J)having been born again, not of [f]corruptible seed but [g]incorruptible, (K)through the word of God which lives and abides [h]forever, 24 because
(L)“All flesh is as grass,
And all [i]the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 (M)But the [j]word of the Lord endures forever.”
(N)Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood
2 Therefore, (O)laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.