Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 51[a]
The “Miserere”: Repentance for Sin
1 For the director.[b] A psalm of David. 2 When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba.
3 Have mercy on me, O God,
in accord with your kindness;[c]
in your abundant compassion
wipe away my offenses.
4 Wash me completely from my guilt,
and cleanse me from my sin.
5 For I am fully aware of my offense,
and my sin is ever before me.
6 Against you, you alone,[d] have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
Therefore, you are right in accusing me
and just in passing judgment.
7 Indeed, I was born in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.[e]
8 But you desire sincerity of heart;[f]
and you endow my innermost being with wisdom.
9 Sprinkle me with hyssop[g] so that I may be cleansed;
wash me until I am whiter than snow.
10 Let me experience joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed exult.
11 Hide your face from my sins,
and wipe out all my offenses.
12 Create[h] in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a resolute spirit within me.
2 O Lord, I have heard of your renown;
your work, O Lord, fills me with awe.
Make it live once again in our own time;
in the course of the years make it known,
and in your wrath remember to have compassion on us.
3 God comes from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His radiance covers the heavens,
and with his glory the earth is filled.
4 His splendor is like that of the sunrise;
rays shine forth from his hand
where his power lies hidden.
5 Pestilence goes before him,
and plague follows close behind.
6 When he stands up, the earth trembles;
at his glance the nations panic.
The eternal mountains are shattered;
along his ancient pathways,
the age-old hills bow down.
7 The tents of the Ethiopians are in distress;
the dwellings of the land of Midian are trembling.
8 Are you angry with the rivers, O Lord?
Or is your wrath directed against the streams,
or your rage against the sea,
that your horses are mounted
and you drive your chariots to victory?
9 You uncover your bow
and fill your quiver with arrows;
into rivers you split the earth.
10 At the sight of you the mountains tremble;
a torrent of water rushes by
and the ocean thunders aloud.
11 At the glint of your flying arrows
and the gleam of your flashing spear,
the sun forgets to rise
and the moon remains motionless in the heavens.
12 In fury you stride across the earth;
in anger you trample the nations.
13 You go forth to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You shatter the house of the wicked,
laying bare its foundations to the bedrock.
Chapter 12
The Anointing at Bethany. 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 They gave a dinner there for him. Martha served the meal, and Lazarus was among those at table with him.
3 Mary brought in a pint[a] of very costly ointment, made from pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and dried them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. 4 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, the one who was about to betray him, said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii[b] and the money given to the poor?” 6 He said this not because he had any concern for the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money bag, and he used to steal from it.
7 Jesus said in response, “Leave her alone! Let her keep it for the day of my burial. 8 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile, a large number of Jews learned that he was there, and they came not only because of Jesus but also because they wanted to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 The chief priests then decided to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 since it was because of him that many of the Jews were leaving and putting their faith in Jesus.
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