Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Thanksgiving for Yahweh’s Compassion
Of David.[a]
103 Bless Yahweh, O my soul,
and all within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless Yahweh, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits:
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with loyal love and mercies,
5 who satisfies your life with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 Yahweh does deeds of justice
and judgments for all who are oppressed,
7 who made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people[b] of Israel.
8 Yahweh is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger[c] and abundant in loyal love.
Violation of the Sabbath
32 When the Israelites[a] were in the desert, they found a man who was gathering wood on the day of the Sabbath. 33 The ones who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and to all the community. 34 And they put him under watch because it was not made clear what should be done to him. 35 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Surely the man must be put to death by stoning him; all the community must stone him with stones from outside the camp.” 36 So the entire community brought him out to a place outside the camp, and they stoned him to death[b] just as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Garment Fringes
37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the Israelites,[c] and tell them to make for themselves tassels[d] on the hems of their garments throughout their generations[e] and to put a blue cord on the tassel of the hem. 39 You will have a tassel for you to look at[f] and remember all the commands of Yahweh and do them, and not follow after the unfaithfulness of your own heart and eyes,[g] 40 so that you will remember and do all my commandments, and you will be holy for your God. 41 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am Yahweh your God.”
3 For consider the one who endured such hostility by sinners against himself,[a] so that you will not grow weary in your souls and give up. 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your[b] blood as you[c] struggle against sin. 5 And have you completely forgotten the exhortation which instructs you as sons?
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
or give up when you are corrected by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one whom he loves,
and punishes every son whom he accepts.”[d]
7 Endure it for discipline. God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, in which all legitimate sons[e] have become participants, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had our earthly fathers[f] who disciplined us, and we respected them. Will we not much rather subject ourselves to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a few days according to what seemed appropriate to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we can have a share in his holiness. 11 Now all discipline seems for the moment not to be joyful but painful, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who are trained by it.
A Serious Warning Against Refusing God
12 Therefore strengthen your slackened hands and your weakened knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame will not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. 15 Take care that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no one growing up like a root of bitterness causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one be a sexually immoral or totally worldly person like Esau, who for one meal traded his own birthright. 17 For you know that also afterwards, when he[g] wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, because he did not find an occasion for repentance, although he sought it with tears.
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