Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the Lord,(A) my soul;(B)
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.(C)
2 Praise the Lord,(D) my soul,
and forget not(E) all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins(F)
and heals(G) all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life(H) from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,(I)
5 who satisfies(J) your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed(K) like the eagle’s.(L)
The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death
32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness,(A) a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.(B) 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.(C) 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die.(D) The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.(E)” 36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him(F) to death,(G) as the Lord commanded Moses.(H)
Tassels on Garments
37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come(I) you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments,(J) with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember(K) all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves(L) by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts(M) and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands(N) and will be consecrated to your God.(O) 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God.(P) I am the Lord your God.(Q)’”
3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary(A) and lose heart.
God Disciplines His Children
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.(B) 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart(C) when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,(D)
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a](E)
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.(F) For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline(G)—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits(H) and live!(I) 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.(J) 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace(K) for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.(L) 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[b](M) so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.(N)
Warning and Encouragement
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone(O) and to be holy;(P) without holiness no one will see the Lord.(Q) 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God(R) and that no bitter root(S) grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral,(T) or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.(U) 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears,(V) he could not change what he had done.
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