Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Meditations and prayers relating to the law of God.

א Aleph.

22 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. ² If the thief be found breaking in, and be smitten so that he dieth, there shall be no ^[a]bloodguiltiness for him. ³ If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be bloodguiltiness for him; he shall make restitution: if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. ⁴ If the theft be found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall pay double.

⁵ If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall let his beast loose, and it feed in another man’s field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.

⁶ If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, or the field are consumed; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

⁷ If a man shall deliver unto his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief be found, he shall pay double. ⁸ If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall come near unto God, to see whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbor’s goods. ⁹ For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, whereof one saith, This is it, the cause of both parties shall come before ^[b]God; he whom ^[c]God shall condemn shall pay double unto his neighbor.

¹⁰ If a man deliver unto his neighbor an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: ¹¹ the oath of Jehovah shall be between them both, whether he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor’s goods; and the owner thereof shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution. ¹² But if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof. ¹³ If it be torn in pieces, let him bring it for witness; he shall not make good that which was torn.

¹⁴ And if a man ^[d]borrow aught of his neighbor, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof not being with it, he shall surely make restitution. ¹⁵ If the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be a hired thing, ^[e]it came for its hire.

9 Now even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and its sanctuary, a sanctuary of this world. ² For there was a tabernacle prepared, the first, wherein ^[a]were the candlestick, and the table, and ^[b]the showbread; which is called the Holy place. ³ And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of holies; ⁴ having a golden ^[c]altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein ^[d]was a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; ⁵ and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing ^[e]the mercy-seat; of which things we cannot now speak severally. ⁶ Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services; ⁷ but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offereth for himself, and for the ^[f]errors of the people: ⁸ the Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holy place hath not yet been made manifest, while the first tabernacle is yet standing; ⁹ which is a figure for the time present; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect, ¹⁰ being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.

¹¹ But Christ having come a high priest of ^[g]the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, ¹² nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption.