Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Teth
Praise for God’s Word
65 Lord, you have dealt well with your servant,
according to your word.
66 Teach me both knowledge and appropriate discretion,
because I believe in your commands.
67 Before I was humbled, I wandered away,
but now I observe your words.
68 Lord,[a] you are good[b], and do what is good;
teach me your statutes.
69 The arrogant have accused me falsely;
but I will observe your precepts wholeheartedly.
70 Their minds are clogged as with greasy fat,
but I find joy in your instruction.[c]
71 It was for my good that I was humbled;[d]
so that I would learn your statutes.
72 Instruction[e] that comes from you[f] is better for me
than thousands of gold and silver coins.[g]
The Day of Atonement
16 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons when they had approached the Lord and died. 2 The Lord told Moses, “Remind[a] your brother Aaron that at no time is he to enter the sacred place from the room that contains the curtain into the presence of the Mercy Seat[b] on top of the ark. Otherwise, he’ll die, because I will appear in a cloud at the Mercy Seat. 3 Aaron is to enter the sacred place with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a whole burnt offering. 4 He is to wear a sacred linen tunic and linen undergarments that will cover his genitals. He is to clothe himself with a sash and wrap his head with a linen turban. Because they are sacred garments, he is to wash himself with water before putting them on.”
The Atonement and Scapegoat Lots
5 “He is to take two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a whole burnt offering from the assembly of the Israelis.
The Scapegoat Offering
20 “When he has completed making atonement at the sacred place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, then he is to present the live male goat. 21 Aaron is to lay his two hands upon the head of the male goat and confess over it the sins of Israel, all their transgressions, and all their sins, thus placing them on the head of the male goat that he’ll then send out to the wilderness by the hand of a man capable of carrying out this task.[a] 22 The male goat will bear on itself all their sins to a solitary land as Aaron sends the goat out to the wilderness.
23 “Then Aaron is to enter the Tent of Meeting, take off his white linen clothes that he had put on when he entered the sacred place, and leave them there. 24 He is to wash his body with water at the sacred place and put on his clothes. Then he is to go out and offer a whole burnt offering for himself and a whole burnt offering for the people, thereby making atonement on account of himself and on account of the people.
25 “As to the fat from the burnt offering, he is to incinerate it on the altar. 26 The one who sent away the male goat as a scapegoat[b] is to wash his clothes and bathe his body with water. After doing so, he may enter the camp.
27 “The bull for the sin offering and the male goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought into the sacred place, are to be taken outside the camp. Their skin, meat, and offal are to be incinerated. 28 The one who burns them is to wash his clothes and bathe his body with water. After doing so, he may enter the camp.”
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree(A)
18 In the morning, as Jesus[a] was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the roadside, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. He told it, “May fruit never come from you again!” And immediately the fig tree dried up.
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus answered them, “I tell all of you[b] with certainty, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you be able to do what has been done to the fig tree, but you will also say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. 22 You will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe.”
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