Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 40
For the choir director; a psalm by David.
1 I waited patiently for Yahweh.
He turned to me and heard my cry for help.
2 He pulled me out of a horrible pit,
out of the mud and clay.
He set my feet on a rock
and made my steps secure.
3 He placed a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our Elohim.
Many will see this and worship.
They will trust Yahweh.
4 Blessed is the person
who places his confidence in Yahweh
and does not rely on arrogant people
or those who follow lies.
5 You have done many miraculous things, O Yahweh my Elohim.
You have made many wonderful plans for us.
No one compares to you!
I will tell others about your miracles,
which are more than I can count.
6 You were not pleased with sacrifices and offerings.
You have dug out two ears for me.[a]
You did not ask for burnt offerings or sacrifices for sin.
7 Then I said, “I have come!
(It is written about me in the scroll of the book.)
8 I am happy to do your will, O my Elohim.”
Your teachings are deep within me.
25 “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days other than her monthly period, she is unclean. If her period lasts longer than usual, she will be unclean as long as she has a discharge. It is like her period. 26 As long as she has a discharge, any bed she lies on or anything she sits on is unclean. It is like her period. 27 Those who touch these things are unclean and must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening.
28 “When her discharge stops, she must wait seven days. After that, she will be clean. 29 On the eighth day she must take two mourning doves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 30 The priest will offer one as an offering for sin and the other as a burnt offering. So in Yahweh’s presence the priest will make peace with the Lord for the woman who had an unclean discharge.
31 “You must separate the Israelites from anything that keeps them from being presentable to me. Otherwise, they will die because they make my tent, which is among them, unclean.
Eating the Priests’ Share of the Sacrifice
22 Yahweh spoke to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons that they must respect the holy offerings which the Israelites set apart for me. In this way they will not dishonor my holy name. I am Yahweh.
3 “Tell them: In future generations if any of your descendants, while unclean, comes near the holy offerings the Israelites set apart for Yahweh, that person must be excluded from my presence. I am Yahweh.
4 “No descendant of Aaron who has a skin disease or a discharge may eat any of the holy offerings until he is clean. Any person who has an emission of semen or touches a dead body, 5 an unclean swarming creature or an unclean person 6 will be unclean until evening. He must not eat any of the holy offerings unless he has washed himself. 7 When the sun has set, he will be clean. Then he may eat the holy offerings because they are his food. 8 He must never eat the meat of an animal that dies naturally or is killed by wild animals. It will make him unclean. I am Yahweh. 9 The priests must do what I order, or their sin will bring them death because they dishonored a holy offering. I am Yahweh, who sets them apart as holy.
Christians and Their Relationships with Unbelievers
14 Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness? 15 Can Christ agree with the devil? Can a believer share life with an unbeliever? 16 Can God’s temple contain false gods? Clearly, we are the temple of the living God. As God said,
“I will live and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
17 The Lord says, “Get away from unbelievers.
Separate yourselves from them.
Have nothing to do with anything unclean.[a]
Then I will welcome you.”
18 The Lord Almighty says, “I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters.”
7 Since we have these promises, dear friends, we need to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God.
Paul Was Comforted by What the Corinthians Did
2 Open your hearts to us. We haven’t treated anyone unjustly, ruined anyone, or cheated anyone.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.