Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

103 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me! Praise His Holy Name!

² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits!

³ Who forgives all your iniquity and heals all your infirmities.

⁴ Who redeems your life from the grave and crowns you with mercy and compassions.

⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things; and your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The LORD executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed.

⁷ He made His ways known to Moses and His works to the children of Israel.

⁸ The LORD is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness.

⁹ He will not always strive with us; nor will He keep His anger forever.

¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as high as the heaven is above the Earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.

¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins from us.

¹³ As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

²² Praise the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion! My soul, praise the LORD!

16 Again, the Word of the LORD came to me, saying:

² “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,

³ “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: “Your origin and your relatives are from the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite.

⁴ “And at your nativity, when you were born, your navel was not cut. You were not washed in water, to soften yourself. You were neither salted with salt nor swaddled in cloths.

⁵ “No eye pitied you, to do any of these for you, to have compassion upon you. But you were cast out in the open field, for you were loathed on the day that you were born.

⁶ “And when I passed by you, I saw you trampled, in your own blood. And I said to you when you were in your blood, ‘You shall live.’ Even when you were in your blood, I said to you, ‘You shall live.’

⁷ “I have caused you to multiply, as the bud of the field, and you have increased and grown greatly. You have entered with excellent ornamentation, your breasts fashioned, and your hair grown. Whereas, before you were naked and bare.

⁸ “Now when I passed by you and looked upon you, behold, your time was as the time of love. And I spread My Wings over you and covered your filthiness. Yea, I swore to you, and entered into a Covenant with you,” says the Lord GOD, “and you became Mine.

⁹ “Then I washed you with water. Yea, I washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil.

¹⁰ “I clothed you also with embroidered work and shod you with badgers’ skin. And I wrapped you with fine linen, and I covered you with silk.

¹¹ “I also decorated you with ornaments. And I put bracelets upon your hands, and a chain on your neck.

¹² “And I put a frontlet upon your face, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head.

¹³ “Thus were you adorned with gold and silver. And your clothing was of fine linen and silk, and embroidered work. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. And you were very beautiful. And you grew up into a kingdom.

¹⁴ “And your name was spread among the heathen because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My beauty which I had set upon you,” says the Lord GOD.

3 What, then, is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

² Much in every way! Firstly, because indeed the oracles of God were entrusted to them.

³ For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

⁴ Absolutely not! Indeed, let God be true, and every man a liar! As it is written, “That you might be justified in your words, and overcome when you are judged.”

⁵ Now, if our unrighteousness exhibits the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous in punishing? (I speak as a man.)

⁶ Absolutely not! Or else, how shall God judge the world?

⁷ For if the truth of God has abounded more through my lie, unto His Glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?

⁸ Rather, why not say (as we are slanderously accused of saying, and as some affirm that we say) “Let us do evil, that good may come?” Their damnation is just.