Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Thanksgiving for Escaping Death
A psalm of David. A song for ·giving the Temple to the Lord [L the dedication of the Temple; C perhaps written by David in anticipation of the dedication of the Temple under Solomon; the connection with healing is uncertain].
30 I will ·praise [L exalt] you, Lord,
because you ·rescued me [L brought me up].
You did not let my enemies ·laugh at [rejoice over] me.
2 Lord, my God, I ·prayed to you [cried to you for help],
and you healed me.
3 You lifted me out of ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol];
you spared me from going down to the ·place of the dead [L Pit; 16:10].
4 Sing praises to the Lord, you ·who belong to him [loyal ones; saints];
·praise [give thanks to] his holy name.
5 His anger lasts only a moment,
but his ·kindness [favor] lasts for a lifetime.
Crying may last for a night,
but joy comes in the morning.
6 When I ·felt safe [or was prosperous], I said,
“I will never ·fear [L be moved].”
7 Lord, in your ·kindness [favor] you made my mountain ·safe [L stand; C God made him prosperous and safe].
But when you ·turned away [L hid your face; C because he became self-reliant, v. 6], I was ·frightened [terrified; or discouraged].
8 I ·called [prayed] to you, Lord,
and ·asked you to have mercy on me [made supplication].
9 I said, “What ·good will it do if I die [profit is there for you in my blood]
or if I go down to ·the grave [corruption; destruction]?
·Dust cannot [L Will the dust…?; Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7] ·praise [thank] you;
·it cannot [L will it…?] speak about your ·truth [faithfulness].
10 Lord, hear me and have mercy on me.
Lord, help me.”
11 You changed my ·sorrow [mourning] into dancing.
You took away my ·clothes of sadness [sackcloth],
and clothed me in ·happiness [joy].
12 I will sing to you and not be silent.
Lord, my God, I will ·praise you [give you thanks] forever.
21 “But if the person is poor and unable to afford these offerings, he must take one male lamb for a ·penalty [guilt; reparation; 5:14–6:7] offering. It will be presented to the Lord to make him clean [C in a ritual sense] ·so he can belong to the Lord again [L and make atonement for him]. The person must also take ·two quarts [L one tenth of an ephah] of ·fine [choice] flour mixed with oil for a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering [2:1]. He must also take ·two-thirds of a pint [L a log; C a liquid measure] of olive oil 22 and two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford. One bird is for a ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering and the other for a whole burnt offering [1:1–17]. 23 On the eighth day the person will bring them for his cleansing to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, before the Lord. 24 The priest will take the lamb for the ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offering and the oil, and he will present them as an offering before the Lord. 25 Then he will ·kill [slaughter] the lamb of the ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offering, take some of its blood, and put it on the ·bottom [lobe] of the right ear of the person to be made clean [C in a ritual sense]. The priest will put some of this blood on the thumb of the person’s right hand and some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. 26 He will also pour some of the oil into his own left hand. 27 Then with a finger of his right hand, he will sprinkle some of the oil from his left hand seven times before the Lord. 28 The priest will take some of the oil from his hand and put it on the ·bottom [lobe] of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will also put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand and some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. The oil will go on these places on top of the blood from the ·penalty [guilt; reparation] offering. 29 The priest must put the rest of the oil that is in his hand on the head of the person to be made clean, to make him clean ·so he can belong to [L to make atonement for him before] the Lord again. 30 Then the priest will offer one of the doves or young pigeons, which the person can afford. 31 He must offer one of the birds for a ·sin [or purification; 4:3] offering and the other for a whole burnt offering [1:1–17], along with the grain [L gift; tribute; 2:1] offering. In this way the priest will make the person clean so he can ·belong to [make atonement before] the Lord again; he will become clean.
32 “These are the ·teachings [regulations; laws] for making a person clean [C in a ritual sense] after he has had a skin disease [13:2], if he cannot afford the regular sacrifices for becoming clean.”
Perfume for Jesus’ Burial(A)
6 Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, ·who had a skin disease [L the leper; C for leprosy, see 8:2; Simon may have been healed by Jesus.]. 7 While Jesus was there, a woman approached him with an alabaster ·jar [vial] filled with expensive perfume. She poured this perfume on Jesus’ head while he was ·eating [L reclining; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party].
8 His ·followers [disciples] were ·upset [indignant] when they saw the woman do this. They asked, “Why waste that perfume? 9 It could have been sold for a great deal of money and the money given to the poor.”
10 Knowing what had happened, Jesus said, “Why are you ·troubling [bothering; criticizing] this woman? She did an ·excellent thing [beautiful/good deed] for me. 11 You will always have the poor with you [Deut. 15:11], but you will not always have me. 12 This woman poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the ·Good News [Gospel] is preached in all the world, what this woman has done will be told, and people will remember her.”
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