Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
88 1 A grievous complaint of the faithful, sore afflicted by sickness, persecutions and adversity, 7 Being as it were left of God without any consolation. 13 Yet he calleth on God by faith, and striveth against desperation. 18 Complaining himself to be forsaken of all earthly help.
A song or Psalm of (A)Heman the Ezrahite to give instruction, committed to the sons of Korah for him that excelleth upon Mahalath [a]Leannoth.
1 O Lord God of my salvation, I cry day and night [b]before thee.
2 Let my prayer enter into thy presence: incline thine ear unto my cry.
3 For my soul is filled with evils, and my life draweth near to the grave.
4 I am counted among them that go down unto the pit, and am as a man without strength,
5 [c]Free among the dead, like the slain laying in the grave, when thou rememberest no more, and they are cut off from thy [d]hand.
6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, and in the deep.
7 Thine indignation lieth upon me, and thou hast vexed me with all thy [e]waves. Selah.
8 Thou hast put away mine [f]acquaintance far from me, and made me to be abhorred of them: [g]I am shut up, and cannot get forth.
9 [h]Mine eye is sorrowful through mine affliction: Lord, I call daily upon thee: I stretch out mine hands unto thee.
10 Wilt thou show [i]a miracle to the dead? or shall the dead rise and praise thee? Selah.
11 Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
12 Shall thy wondrous works be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land [j]of oblivion?
13 But unto thee, have I cried, O Lord, and early shall my prayer come before thee.
14 Lord, why dost thou reject my soul, and hidest thy face from me?
15 I am afflicted and at the point of death: [k]from my youth I suffer thy terrors, doubting of my life.
16 Thine indignations go over me, and thy fear hath cut me off.
17 They came round about me daily like water, and compassed me together.
18 My lovers and friends hast thou put away from me, and mine acquaintance [l]hid themselves.
21 2 For whom the Priests may lament. 6 How pure the Priests ought to be, both in themselves, and in their family.
1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto the Priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, Let none be [a]defiled by the dead among his people,
2 But by his kinsman that is near unto him: to wit, by his mother, or by his father, or by his son, or by his daughter, or by his brother,
3 Or by his sister a [b]maid, that is near unto him, which had not had an husband: for her [c]he may lament.
4 He shall not lament for the [d]Prince among his people, to pollute himself.
5 They shall not make (A)bald parts upon their head, nor shave off the locks of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
6 They shall be holy unto their God, and not pollute the Name of their God: for the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
7 They shall not take to wife an whore, or [e]one polluted, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband: for such one is holy unto his God.
8 Thou shalt [f]sanctify him therefore, for he offereth the [g]bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the Lord which sanctify you, am holy.
9 ¶ If a Priest’s daughter fall to play the whore, she polluteth her father: therefore shall she be burnt with fire.
10 ¶ Also the high Priest among his brethren, (upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and hath consecrated his hand to put on the garments) shall not [h]uncover his head nor rent his clothes.
11 Neither shall he go to any [i]dead body, nor make himself unclean by his father or by his mother,
12 Neither shall he go out of the [j]Sanctuary, nor pollute the holy place of his God: for the [k]crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the Lord.
13 Also he shall take a maid unto his wife:
14 But a widow, or a divorced woman, or a polluted, or an harlot, these shall he not marry, but shall take a maid of his own [l]people to wife:
15 Neither shall he defile his [m]seed among his people: for I am the Lord which sanctify him.
16 [a]And thanks be unto God, which had put in the heart of Titus the same care for you.
17 Because he accepted the exhortation, yea, he was so careful that of his own accord he went unto you.
18 And we have sent also with him the brother, whose praise is [b]in the Gospel throughout all the Churches.
19 (And not so only, but is also chosen of the Churches to be a fellow in our journey, concerning this [c]grace that is ministered by us unto the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your prompt mind.)
20 Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this [d]abundance that is ministered by us,
21 (A)Providing for honest things, not only before the Lord, but also before men.
22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have ofttimes proved to be diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, for the great confidence, which I have in you.
23 Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my fellow and helper to you-ward: or of our [e]brethren, they are messengers of the Churches, and the [f]glory of Christ.
24 Wherefore show toward them, and before the [g]Churches the proof of your love, and of the rejoicing that we have of you.
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