Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 138
Of David.
1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods”(A) I will sing(B) your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple(C)
and will praise your name(D)
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,(E)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.(F)
3 When I called,(G) you answered me;(H)
you greatly emboldened(I) me.
4 May all the kings of the earth(J) praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing(K) of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord(L) is great.
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;(M)
though lofty, he sees them(N) from afar.
7 Though I walk(O) in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.(P)
You stretch out your hand(Q) against the anger of my foes;(R)
with your right hand(S) you save me.(T)
8 The Lord will vindicate(U) me;
your love, Lord, endures forever(V)—
do not abandon(W) the works of your hands.(X)
11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, take up a lament(A) concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘You were the seal of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.(B)
13 You were in Eden,(C)
the garden of God;(D)
every precious stone(E) adorned you:
carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
topaz, onyx and jasper,
lapis lazuli, turquoise(F) and beryl.[a]
Your settings and mountings[b] were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.(G)
14 You were anointed(H) as a guardian cherub,(I)
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your widespread trade
you were filled with violence,(J)
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, guardian cherub,(K)
from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud(L)
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.(M)
18 By your many sins and dishonest trade
you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire(N) come out from you,
and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes(O) on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching.(P)
19 All the nations who knew you
are appalled(Q) at you;
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.(R)’”
Lawsuits Among Believers
6 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?(A) 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?(B) And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you.(C) Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?(D) 6 But instead, one brother(E) takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!(F)
7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?(G) 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.(H) 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?(I) Do not be deceived:(J) Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers(K) nor men who have sex with men[a](L) 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers(M) will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were.(N) But you were washed,(O) you were sanctified,(P) you were justified(Q) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.