Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Happiness of Those Whose Help Is the Lord

Debts Canceled Every Seven Years^(A)

15 “At the end of ^(B)every seven years you shall grant a ^[a]release of debts. ² And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall ^[b]release it; he shall not ^[c]require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord’s release. ³ Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, ⁴ except when there may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly ^(C)bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance— ⁵ only if you carefully obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. ⁶ For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; ^(D)you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.

Generosity to the Poor

⁷ “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the ^[d]gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, ^(E)you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, ⁸ but ^(F)you shall ^[e]open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. ⁹ Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your ^(G)eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and ^(H)he cry out to the Lord against you, and ^(I)it become sin among you. ¹⁰ You shall surely give to him, and ^(J)your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because ^(K)for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. ¹¹ For ^(L)the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall ^[f]open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’

¹⁵ And for this reason ^(A)He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that ^(B)those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

The Mediator’s Death Necessary

¹⁶ For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷ For ^(C)a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. ^18 (D)Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every ^[a]precept to all the people according to the law, ^(E)he took the blood of calves and goats, ^(F)with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, ^(G)“This is the ^(H)blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” ²¹ Then likewise ^(I)he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. ²² And according to the law almost all things are ^[b]purified with blood, and ^(J)without shedding of blood there is no ^[c]remission.

Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice

²³ Therefore it was necessary that ^(K)the copies of the things in the heavens should be ^[d]purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For ^(L)Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are ^[e]copies of ^(M)the true, but into heaven itself, now ^(N)to appear in the presence of God for us;