Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 17[a]
A prayer of David.
17 Lord, consider my just cause.[b]
Pay attention to my cry for help.
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer.[c]
2 Make a just decision on my behalf.[d]
Decide what is right.[e]
3 You have scrutinized my inner motives;[f]
you have examined me during the night.[g]
You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.
I am determined I will say nothing sinful.[h]
4 As for the actions of people[i]—
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men.[j]
5 I carefully obey your commands;[k]
I do not deviate from them.[l]
6 I call to you because you will answer me, O God.
Listen to me![m]
Hear what I say![n]
7 Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds,[o]
you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies.[p]
8 Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye.[q]
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.[r]
9 Protect me from[s] the wicked men who attack[t] me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill.[u]
Judah and Tamar
38 At that time Judah left[a] his brothers and stayed[b] with an Adullamite man[c] named Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua.[d] Judah acquired her as a wife[e] and slept with her.[f] 3 She became pregnant[g] and had a son. Judah named[h] him Er. 4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 5 Then she had[i] yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib.[j]
6 Judah acquired[k] a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with[l] your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise up[m] a descendant for your brother.”[n] 9 But Onan knew that the child[o] would not be considered his.[p] So whenever[q] he slept with[r] his brother’s wife, he wasted his emission on the ground[s] so as not to give his brother a descendant. 10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord[t] killed him too.
11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” For he thought,[u] “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.”[v] So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12 After some time[w] Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with[x] his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 Tamar was told,[y] “Look, your father-in-law is going up[z] to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. (She did this because[aa] she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.)[ab]
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute[ac] because she had covered her face. 16 He turned aside to her along the road and said, “Come, please, I want to sleep with you.”[ad] (He did not realize it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me so that you may sleep with me?” 17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?”[ae] 18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her, then slept with her,[af] and she became pregnant by him. 19 She left immediately,[ag] removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.
20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah[ah] the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge,[ai] but Hirah[aj] could not find her. 21 He asked the men who were there,[ak] “Where is the cult prostitute[al] who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I couldn’t find her. Moreover, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things[am] for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest.[an] I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”
24 After three months Judah was told,[ao] “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution,[ap] and as a result she has become pregnant.”[aq] Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word[ar] to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.”[as] Then she said, “Identify[at] the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright[au] than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He was not physically intimate with her again.[av]
Paul’s Defense Before Felix
10 When the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know[a] that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I confidently make my defense.[b] 11 As you can verify[c] for yourself, not more than twelve days ago[d] I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 They did not find me arguing[e] with anyone or stirring up a crowd[f] in the temple courts[g] or in the synagogues[h] or throughout the city,[i] 13 nor can they prove[j] to you the things[k] they are accusing me of doing.[l] 14 But I confess this to you, that I worship[m] the God of our ancestors[n] according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law[o] and that is written in the prophets. 15 I have[p] a hope in God (a hope[q] that[r] these men[s] themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.[t] 16 This is the reason[u] I do my best to always[v] have a clear[w] conscience toward God and toward people.[x] 17 After several years[y] I came to bring to my people gifts for the poor[z] and to present offerings,[aa] 18 which I was doing when they found me in the temple, ritually purified,[ab] without a crowd or a disturbance.[ac] 19 But there are some Jews from the province of Asia[ad] who should be here before you and bring charges,[ae] if they have anything against me. 20 Or these men here[af] should tell what crime[ag] they found me guilty of[ah] when I stood before the council,[ai] 21 other than[aj] this one thing[ak] I shouted out while I stood before[al] them: ‘I am on trial before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead.’”[am]
22 Then Felix,[an] who understood the facts[ao] concerning the Way[ap] more accurately,[aq] adjourned their hearing,[ar] saying, “When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case.”[as] 23 He ordered the centurion[at] to guard Paul,[au] but to let him have some freedom,[av] and not to prevent any of his friends[aw] from meeting his needs.[ax]
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.