Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Prayer for Protection against Oppressors.
A Prayer of David.
17 Hear a (A)just cause, O Lord, (B)give heed to my cry;
(C)Give ear to my prayer, which is not from (D)deceitful lips.
2 Let (E)my [a]judgment come forth from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look with (F)equity.
3 You have (G)tried my heart;
You have visited me by night;
You have (H)tested me and (I)You find [b]nothing;
I have (J)purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 As for the deeds of men, (K)by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the (L)paths of the violent.
5 My (M)steps have held fast to Your [c]paths.
My (N)feet have not slipped.
6 I have (O)called upon You, for You will answer me, O God;
(P)Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
7 (Q)Wondrously show Your lovingkindness,
O (R)Savior of those who take refuge [d]at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
8 Keep me as [e]the (S)apple of the eye;
Hide me (T)in the shadow of Your wings
9 From the (U)wicked who despoil me,
My (V)deadly enemies who surround me.
Judah and Tamar
38 And it came about at that time, that Judah [a]departed from his brothers and [b]visited a certain (A)Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was (B)Shua; and he took her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son and he named him (C)Er. 4 Then she conceived again and bore a son and named him (D)Onan. 5 She bore still another son and named him (E)Shelah; and it was at Chezib [c]that she bore him.
6 Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But (F)Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord took his life. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “(G)Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up [d]offspring for your brother.” 9 Onan knew that the [e](H)offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife, he [f]wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give [g]offspring to his brother. 10 But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He (I)took his life also. 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “(J)Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he [h]thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12 Now [i]after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when [j]the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at (K)Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 It was told to Tamar, “[k]Behold, your father-in-law is going up to (L)Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she [l]removed her widow’s garments and (M)covered herself with a [m]veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of [n]Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and (N)she had not been given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “[o]Here now, let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He said, therefore, “I will send you a [p]young goat from the flock.” She said, moreover, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “(O)Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and departed, and [q]removed her [r]veil and put on her widow’s garments.
20 When Judah sent the [s]young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 He asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Judah, and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’” 23 Then Judah said, “Let her [t]keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. [u]After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”
24 Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, “[v]Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and (P)let her be burned!” 25 It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.” And she said, “(Q)Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” 26 Judah recognized them, and said, “(R)She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as (S)I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not [w]have relations with her again.
10 When (A)the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded:
“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense, 11 since you can take note of the fact that no more than (B)twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 (C)Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or (D)causing [a]a riot. 13 (E)Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me. 14 But this I admit to you, that according to (F)the Way which they call a (G)sect I do serve [b](H)the God of our fathers, (I)believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; 15 having a hope in God, which (J)these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16 In view of this, (K)I also [c]do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men. 17 Now (L)after several years I (M)came to bring [d]alms to my nation and to present offerings; 18 in which they found me occupied in the temple, having been (N)purified, without any (O)crowd or uproar. But there were some (P)Jews from [e]Asia— 19 who ought to have been present before you and to (Q)make accusation, if they should have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when I stood before (R)the [f]Council, 21 other than for this one statement which (S)I shouted out while standing among them, ‘For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.’”
22 But Felix, [g]having a more exact knowledge about (T)the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the [h]commander comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be (U)kept in custody and yet (V)have some freedom, and not to prevent any of (W)his friends from ministering to him.
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