Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
To the Director: A Davidic Psalm.
Prayer and Thanksgiving
31 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge.
Let me never be ashamed.
Because you are righteous, deliver me!
2 Listen to me,
and deliver me quickly.
Become a rock of safety for me,
a fortified citadel to deliver me;
3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
for the sake of your name guide me and lead me.
4 Rescue me from the net that they concealed to trap me;
for you are my strength.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
for you have redeemed me,
Lord God of truth.
19 How great is your goodness
that you have reserved for those who fear you,
that you have set in place for those who take refuge in you,
in the presence of the children of men.
20 You will hide them in the secret place of your presence,
away from the conspiracies of men.
You will hide them in your tent,
away from their contentious tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord!
In a marvelous way he demonstrated his gracious love to me,
when I was in a city under siege.
22 When I said in my panic,
“I have been cut off in your sight,”
then you surely heard the voice of my prayer
in my plea to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all his godly ones!
The Lord preserves the faithful
and repays those who act with proud motives.
24 Be strong,
and let your heart be courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord.
The Covenant is Sealed with Blood
24 The Lord[a] told Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel, and worship[b] at a distance. 2 Only Moses is to approach the Lord, but the others[c] are not to approach; the people are not to come up with him.”
3 Then Moses came and reported all the words of the Lord and all the statutes to the people, and they all[d] answered with one voice, “We will do everything that the Lord has decreed.”
4 So Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He got up early in the morning and built an altar with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain. 5 He sent young Israeli men to offer up burnt offerings and sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half the blood and put it in bowls, while he sprinkled the other half[e] on the altar. 7 He took the Book of the Covenant and read it to[f] the people. They said, “We will put into practice and obey everything that the Lord has decreed.”
8 Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord made with you based on all these words.”
Who is a Jew?
17 Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the Law, and boast about God, 18 and know his will, and approve of what is best because you have been instructed in the Law; 19 and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 an instructor of ignorant people, and a teacher of infants because you have the full content of knowledge and truth in the Law— 21 as you teach others, do you fail to teach yourself? As you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 As you forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? As you abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 As you boast about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law? 24 As it is written, “God’s name is being blasphemed among the gentiles because of you.”[a]
25 For circumcision is valuable if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, your having been circumcised has no more value than if you were uncircumcised. 26 So if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the requirements of the Law, his uncircumcision will be regarded as circumcision, won’t it? 27 The man who is uncircumcised physically but who keeps the Law will condemn you who break the Law, even though you have the written Law[b] and circumcision. 28 For a person is not a Jew because of his appearance, nor is circumcision something just external and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, brought about by the Spirit, not by a written law.[c] That person’s praise will come from God, not from people.
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