Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 51
Cleanse Me From My Sin
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For the choir director. A psalm by David.
When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.[a]
David’s Plea for Forgiveness
1 Be gracious to me, God,
according to your mercy.
Erase my acts of rebellion
according to the greatness of your compassion.
2 Scrub me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
David’s Confession
3 For I admit my rebellious acts.
My sin is always in front of me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned,
and I have done this evil in your eyes.
So you are justified when you sentence me.
You are blameless when you judge.
5 Certainly, I was guilty when I was born.
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
David’s Need for Renewal
6 Since you desire truth on the inside,
in my hidden heart you teach me wisdom.
7 Remove my sin with hyssop, and I will be clean.
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness.
Let the bones you have crushed celebrate.
9 Hide your face from my sins.
Erase all my guilty deeds.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God.
Renew an unwavering spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence.
Do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
Sustain me with a willing spirit.
2 O Lord, I have heard the report about you,
and I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
In the midst of our years revive those deeds.
In the midst of our years reveal them again.
In your rage, remember to have mercy.
3 God comes from Teman. Interlude[a]
The Holy One comes from Mount Paran.
His splendor covers the heavens,
and his praises fill the earth.
4 His brightness is like lightning.
Lightning bolts flash out from his hand,[b]
where his strength is hidden.
5 Contagious disease goes ahead of him,
and plague follows after him.
6 He stands up and shakes[c] the earth.
He looks, and the nations jump in fright.
The ancient mountains are shattered.
The age-old hills are flattened.
But he goes on forever.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan overwhelmed by trouble.
The tent curtains in the land of Midian were trembling.
8 Were you angry with the rivers, Lord?
Was your anger against the rivers?
Or was your fury against the sea?
Is that why you hitched up your horses
and rode your chariots of salvation?
9 You unsheathed your bow Interlude
and called for arrows.
You split the earth with rivers.
10 When the mountains see you, they shake.
A flood of water sweeps through.
The great deep roars
and lifts its hands high.
11 The sun and the moon stand still in their palace
when your flying arrows flash,
when your spear is bright as lightning.
12 In fury you march through the earth.
In anger you trample the nations.
13 You march out to save your people,
to deliver your anointed one.
You strike the head of the wicked nation to lay him out Interlude
naked from his buttocks to his neck.[d]
Mary Anoints Jesus
12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, who had died, the one Jesus raised from the dead. 2 They gave a dinner for him there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him.
3 Then Mary took about twelve ounces[a] of very expensive perfume (pure nard) and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray him, said, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii[b] and given to the poor?” 6 He did not say this because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief. He held the money box and used to steal what was put into it.
7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She intended to keep this for the day of my burial. 8 Indeed, the poor you always have with you, but you are not always going to have me.”
9 A large crowd of the Jews learned that he was there. They came not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus too, 11 because it was on account of him that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.