Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Aleph^[a]

Regulations Regarding Theft, Borrowing, and Accidental Damage or Loss

22 ^[a] “‘If a man steals an ox or small livestock and slaughters it or sells it, he will make restitution with five cattle in place of the ox and with four sheep or goats in place of the small livestock. ² “‘If a thief is found in the act of breaking in and he is struck and he dies, there is not bloodguilt for him. ³ (If the sun has risen over him, there is bloodguilt for him. He will make full restitution. If he does not have enough,^[b] he will be sold for his theft. ⁴ If indeed the stolen item is found in his possession^[c] alive, from ox to donkey to small livestock, he will make double restitution.

⁵ “‘If a man grazes his livestock in a field or a vineyard and he releases his livestock and it grazes in the field of another, he will make restitution from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard.

⁶ “‘If a fire is started and finds thorn bushes and a stack of sheaves or the standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who started the fire will surely make restitution.

⁷ “‘If a man gives to his neighbor money or objects to watch over and it is stolen from the house of the man, if the thief is found, he will make double restitution. ⁸ If the thief is not found, the owner of the house will be brought to the sanctuary^[d] to learn whether or not he reached out his hand to his neighbor’s possession. ⁹ Concerning every account of transgression—concerning an ox, concerning a donkey, concerning small livestock, concerning clothing, concerning all lost property—where someone says, “This belongs to me,” the matter of the two of them will come to God;^[e] whomever God declares guilty will make double restitution to his neighbor.

¹⁰ “‘If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or small livestock or any beast to watch over and it dies or is injured or is captured when there is no one who sees, ¹¹ the oath of Yahweh will be between the two of them concerning whether or not he has reached out his hand to his neighbor’s possession, and its owner will accept this, and he will not make restitution. ¹² But if indeed it was stolen from him, he will make restitution to its owner. ¹³ If indeed it was torn to pieces, he will bring it as evidence—the mangled carcass; he will not make restitution.

¹⁴ “‘If a man borrows from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he will make restitution. ¹⁵ If its owner was with it, he will not make restitution; if it was hired, it came with its hiring fee.

The Earthly Ministry of the Old Covenant

9 Now^[a] the first covenant had regulations for worship and the earthly sanctuary. ² For a tent was prepared, the first one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the presentation of the loaves, which is called the holy place. ³ And after the second curtain was a tent called the holy of holies, ⁴ containing the golden incense altar and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which were a golden jar containing the manna and the rod of Aaron that budded and the tablets of the covenant. ⁵ And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, about which it is not now possible to speak in detail.

⁶ Now these things having been prepared in this way, the priests enter into the first tent continually^[b] as they^[c] accomplish their service, ⁷ but only the high priest enters into the second tent once a year, not without blood, which he offers on behalf of himself and the sins of the people committed in ignorance. ⁸ The Holy Spirit was making this clear, that the way into the holy place was not yet revealed, while^[d] the first tent was still in existence, ⁹ which was a symbol for the present time, in which both the gifts and sacrifices which were offered were not able to perfect the worshiper with respect to the conscience, ¹⁰ concerning instead only food and drink and different washings, regulations of outward things imposed until the time of setting things right.

The Heavenly Ministry of the New Covenant

¹¹ But Christ has arrived as a high priest of the good things to come. Through the greater and more perfect tent not made by hands, that is, not of this creation, ¹² and not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered once for all into the most holy place, obtaining eternal redemption.