Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 38[a]
Prayer of an Afflicted Sinner
1 A psalm of David. For remembrance.
I
2 Lord, do not punish me in your anger;
in your wrath do not chastise me!(A)
3 Your arrows have sunk deep in me;(B)
your hand has come down upon me.
4 There is no wholesomeness in my flesh because of your anger;
there is no health in my bones because of my sin.(C)
5 My iniquities overwhelm me,
a burden too heavy for me.(D)
II
6 Foul and festering are my sores
because of my folly.
7 I am stooped and deeply bowed;(E)
every day I go about mourning.
8 My loins burn with fever;
there is no wholesomeness in my flesh.
9 I am numb and utterly crushed;
I wail with anguish of heart.(F)
10 My Lord, my deepest yearning is before you;
my groaning is not hidden from you.
11 My heart shudders, my strength forsakes me;
the very light of my eyes has failed.(G)
12 Friends and companions shun my disease;
my neighbors stand far off.
13 Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
they seek my misfortune, they speak of ruin;
they plot treachery every day.
III
14 But I am like the deaf, hearing nothing,
like the mute, I do not open my mouth,
15 I am even like someone who does not hear,
who has no answer ready.
16 Lord, it is for you that I wait;
O Lord, my God, you respond.(H)
17 For I have said that they would gloat over me,
exult over me if I stumble.
IV
18 I am very near to falling;
my wounds are with me always.
19 I acknowledge my guilt
and grieve over my sin.(I)
20 My enemies live and grow strong,
those who hate me grow numerous fraudulently,
21 Repaying me evil for good,
accusing me for pursuing good.(J)
22 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
my God, be not far from me!(K)
23 Come quickly to help me,(L)
my Lord and my salvation!
Chapter 5
Special Cases for Purification Offerings.[a] 1 If a person, either having seen or come to know something, does wrong by refusing as a witness under oath to give information,(A) that individual shall bear the penalty; 2 or if someone, without being aware of it, touches any unclean thing, such as the carcass of an unclean wild animal, or an unclean domestic animal, or an unclean swarming creature,[b] and thus is unclean and guilty;(B) 3 or if someone, without being aware of it, touches some human uncleanness,(C) whatever kind of uncleanness this may be, and then subsequently becomes aware of guilt; 4 or if someone, without being aware of it, rashly utters an oath with bad or good intent,(D) whatever kind of oath this may be, and then subsequently becomes aware of guilt in regard to any of these matters— 5 when someone is guilty in regard to any of these matters, that person shall confess the wrong committed, 6 and make reparation to the Lord for the wrong committed: a female animal from the flock, a ewe lamb or a she-goat, as a purification offering. Thus the priest shall make atonement on the individual’s behalf for the wrong.
7 If, however, the person cannot afford an animal of the flock,(E) that person shall bring to the Lord as reparation for the wrong committed two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a purification offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 The guilty party shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer the one for the purification offering first.(F) Wringing its head at the neck, yet without breaking it off, 9 he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the purification offering against the side of the altar. The rest of the blood shall be drained out against the base of the altar. It is a purification offering. 10 The other bird he shall offer as a burnt offering according to procedure. Thus the priest shall make atonement on the person’s behalf for the wrong committed, so that the individual may be forgiven.
11 If the person is unable to afford even two turtledoves or two pigeons, that person shall bring as an offering for the wrong committed one tenth of an ephah[c] of bran flour for a purification offering. The guilty party shall not put oil or place frankincense on it, because it is a purification offering.(G) 12 The individual shall bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful as a token of the offering and burn it on the altar with the other oblations for the Lord. It is a purification offering. 13 Thus the priest shall make atonement on the person’s behalf for the wrong committed in any of the above cases, so that the individual may be forgiven. The rest of the offering, like the grain offering, shall belong to the priest.
Reparation Offerings.[d]
Chapter 17
Temptations to Sin. 1 (A)He said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Be on your guard![a] If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.(B) 4 And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.”(C)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.