Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
God Keeps His Own
40 I did not give up waiting for the Lord. And He turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up out of the hole of danger, out of the mud and clay. He set my feet on a rock, making my feet sure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and will put their trust in the Lord.
4 How happy is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud or to the followers of lies. 5 O Lord my God, many are the great works You have done, and Your thoughts toward us. No one can compare with You! If I were to speak and tell of them, there would be too many to number.
6 You have not wanted gifts given on the altar in worship. You have opened my ears. You have not wanted burnt gifts or gifts to cover sins. 7 Then I said, “Look, I have come. It is written about me in the book. 8 I am happy to do Your will, O my God. Your Law is within my heart.”
25 ‘If a woman has a flow of blood for many days, at a different time than when it happens each month, or if the blood flows longer at that time, all the days the blood flows she will be unclean. It will be as if it were the time when she is unclean each month. She will be unclean. 26 Any bed she lies on while her blood is flowing will be like the bed during the time she is unclean and whatever she sits on will be unclean. 27 Whoever touches them will be unclean. He must wash his clothes and wash himself in water and be unclean until evening. 28 When she becomes clean from her flow, she will wait seven days. After that she will be clean. 29 On the eighth day she will take two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the religious leader at the door of the meeting tent. 30 The religious leader will give one for a sin gift and the other for a burnt gift. In this way the woman will be clean before the Lord from the flow of blood that made her unclean.’
31 “In this way you will keep the people of Israel away from whatever makes them unclean or they will die because of making My meeting tent unclean that is among them.”
22 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy gifts that the people of Israel set apart for Me. So they will not sin against My holy name. I am the Lord. 3 Say to them, ‘If any one of all your children comes near the holy gifts that the people of Israel set apart for the Lord, while he is unclean, he will be cut off from My holy place. I am the Lord. 4 None of the children of Aaron who has a bad skin disease or something flowing from his body may eat of the holy gifts until he is clean. If one touches anything that is unclean because of a dead body, or has had his seed come from his sex part, 5 or touches anything that is unclean that moves on the ground, or touches any man who makes him unclean, for whatever reason, 6 the man who touches any such thing will be unclean until evening. He must not eat of the holy gifts unless he has washed his body in water. 7 When the sun has gone down, he will be clean. After that he may eat of the holy gifts, for they are his food. 8 He should not eat an animal that dies of itself or is killed by wild animals. He will be unclean if he does. I am the Lord. 9 The religious leaders must obey My Law, so they will not be sinful because of it and die because they sin against My Law. I am the Lord Who makes them holy.
14 Do not be joined together with those who do not belong to Christ. How can that which is good get along with that which is bad? How can light be in the same place with darkness? 15 How can Christ get along with the devil? How can one who has put his trust in Christ get along with one who has not put his trust in Christ? 16 How can the house of God get along with false gods? We are the house of the living God. God has said, “I will live in them and will walk among them. I will be their God and they will be My people.” (A) 17 The Lord has said, “So come out from among them. Do not be joined to them. Touch nothing that is sinful. And I will receive you. 18 I will be a Father to you. You will be My sons and daughters, says the All-powerful God.”
7 Since we have these great promises, dear friends, let us turn away from every sin of the body or of the spirit. Let us honor God with love and fear by giving ourselves to Him in every way.
His Love for the Corinthians
2 Receive us into your hearts. We have done no wrong to anyone. We have not led anyone in the wrong way. We have not used anyone for our good.
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