Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
7 Then I said,[a]
“O Lord, intervene for the honor of your name[b]
even though our sins speak out against us.[c]
Indeed,[d] we have turned away from you many times.
We have sinned against you.
8 You have been the object of Israel’s hopes.
You have saved them when they were in trouble.
Why have you become like a resident foreigner[e] in the land?
Why have you become like a traveler who only stops in to spend the night?
9 Why should you be like someone who is helpless,[f]
like a champion[g] who cannot save anyone?
You are indeed with us,[h]
and we belong to you.[i]
Do not abandon us!”
10 Then the Lord spoke about these people.[j]
19 Then I said,
“Lord,[a] have you completely rejected the nation of Judah?
Do you despise[b] the city of Zion?
Why have you struck us with such force
that we are beyond recovery?[c]
We hope for peace, but nothing good has come of it.
We hope for a time of relief from our troubles, but experience terror.[d]
20 Lord, we confess that we have been wicked.
We confess that our ancestors have done wrong.[e]
We have indeed[f] sinned against you.
21 For the honor of your name,[g] do not treat Jerusalem with contempt.
Do not treat with disdain the place where your glorious throne sits.[h]
Be mindful of your covenant with us. Do not break it.[i]
22 Do any of the worthless idols[j] of the nations cause rain to fall?
Do the skies themselves send showers?
Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this?[k]
So we put our hopes in you[l]
because you alone do all this.”
Psalm 84[a]
For the music director, according to the gittith style;[b] written by the Korahites, a psalm.
84 How lovely is the place where you live,[c]
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies![d]
2 I desperately want to be[e]
in the courts of the Lord’s temple.[f]
My heart and my entire being[g] shout for joy
to the living God.
3 Even the birds find a home there,
and the swallow[h] builds a nest,
where she can protect her young[i]
near your altars, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
my King and my God.
4 How blessed[j] are those who live in your temple
and praise you continually. (Selah)
5 How blessed are those who[k] find their strength in you,
and long to travel the roads that lead to your temple.[l]
6 As they pass through the Baca Valley,[m]
he provides a spring for them.[n]
The rain[o] even covers it with pools of water.[p]
7 They are sustained as they travel along;[q]
each one appears[r] before God in Zion.
6 For I am already being poured out as an offering, and the time for me to depart[a] is at hand. 7 I have competed well;[b] I have finished the race; I have kept the faith! 8 Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it to me in that day—and not to me only, but also to all who have set their affection on[c] his appearing.
16 At my first defense no one appeared in my support; instead they all deserted me—may they not be held accountable for it. 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message[a] would be fully proclaimed[b] for all the Gentiles to hear. And so I was delivered from the lion’s mouth! 18 The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and will bring me safely[c] into his heavenly kingdom. To him[d] be glory for ever and ever![e] Amen.
The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
9 Jesus[a] also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down[b] on everyone else. 10 “Two men went up[c] to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee[d] and the other a tax collector.[e] 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this:[f] ‘God, I thank[g] you that I am not like other people:[h] extortionists,[i] unrighteous people,[j] adulterers—or even like this tax collector.[k] 12 I fast twice[l] a week; I give a tenth[m] of everything I get.’ 13 The tax collector, however, stood[n] far off and would not even look up[o] to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful[p] to me, sinner that I am!’[q] 14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified[r] rather than the Pharisee.[s] For everyone who exalts[t] himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
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