Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prayer of the Sinner

51 O God, favor me because of Your loving-kindness. Take away my wrong-doing because of the greatness of Your loving-pity. ² Wash me inside and out from my wrong-doing and make me clean from my sin. ³ For I know my wrong-doing, and my sin is always in front of me. ⁴ I have sinned against You, and You only. I have done what is sinful in Your eyes. You are always right when You speak, and fair when You judge.

⁵ See, I was born in sin and was in sin from my very beginning. ⁶ See, You want truth deep within the heart. And You will make me know wisdom in the hidden part. ⁷ Take away my sin, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. ⁸ Make me hear joy and happiness. Let the bones that You have broken be full of joy. ⁹ Hide Your face from my sins. And take away all my wrong-doing.

¹⁰ Make a clean heart in me, O God. Give me a new spirit that will not be moved. ¹¹ Do not throw me away from where You are. And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Let the joy of Your saving power return to me. And give me a willing spirit to obey you.

² O Lord, I have heard of what You have done, and I am filled with fear. O Lord, do again in our times the great things which You have done before. Remember to show loving-kindness, even when You are angry.

³ God comes from Teman. The Holy One comes from Mount Paran. His shining-greatness covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise. ⁴ He is as bright as the sun. He has light shining from His hand, where His power is hidden. ⁵ Disease goes before Him, and much trouble comes after Him. ⁶ He stood and looked over the earth. He looked and shook the nations. The lasting mountains were broken to pieces, and the old hills fell down. His ways last forever. ⁷ I saw the tents of Cushan in trouble. The tent curtains of the land of Midian were shaking.

⁸ Were You angry with the rivers, O Lord? Was Your anger against the rivers? Or were You angry with the sea? You rode on Your horses. You rode on Your war-wagons saving people. ⁹ You took the covering off Your bow and put the arrows to the string. You divided the earth with rivers. ¹⁰ The mountains saw You and shook. The flood of waters flowed by. The sea made its noise and its waves rose high. ¹¹ The sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the light of Your arrows, at the shining of Your spear. ¹² You walked over the earth in Your anger. In anger You crushed the nations under foot. ¹³ You went to save Your people, to save Your chosen ones. You crushed the leader of the land of the sinful and laid him open from thighs to neck.

Mary of Bethany Puts Special Perfume on Jesus ^(A)

12 It was six days before the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus lived. Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. ² They made supper for Him. Martha put the food on the table. Lazarus was at the table with Him.

³ Mary took a jar of special perfume that cost much money and poured it on the feet of Jesus. She dried His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the smell of the special perfume.

⁴ Judas Iscariot was one of the followers. He was about to hand Jesus over to the leaders of the country. He said, ⁵ “Why was not this special perfume sold for much money and given to poor people?” ⁶ He did not say this because he cared for poor people. He said this because he was a robber. He carried the bag of money and would steal some of it for himself. ⁷ Jesus said, “Let her alone. She has kept it for the time when I will be buried. ⁸ You will always have poor people with you. You will not always have Me.”

The Jews Talk about Having Lazarus Killed

⁹ Many Jews came to the place because they knew Jesus was there. They came not only to see Jesus, but to see Lazarus also. Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. ¹⁰ The religious leaders of the Jews talked together about having Lazarus killed also. ¹¹ Because of Lazarus, many Jews were leaving their own religion. They were putting their trust in Jesus.