Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 103

The Forgiving God

Davidic.

Parable of God’s Adulterous Wife

16 The word of the Lord came to me again: ² “Son of man, explain Jerusalem’s detestable practices to her.^{(A) 3} You are to say: This is what the Lord God says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.^{(B) 4} As for your birth, your umbilical cord wasn’t cut on the day you were born,^(C) and you weren’t washed clean^[a] with water. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.^{(D) 5} No one cared enough about you to do even one of these things out of compassion for you. But you were thrown out into the open field because you were despised on the day you were born.

⁶ “I passed by you and saw you lying in your blood, and I said to you as you lay in your blood: Live! Yes, I said to you as you lay in your blood: Live!^{[b] 7} I made you thrive^[c] like plants of the field.^(E) You grew up and matured and became very beautiful.^[d] Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, but you were stark naked.

⁸ “Then I passed by you and saw you, and you were indeed at the age for love. So I spread the edge of My garment over you and covered your nakedness.^(F) I pledged Myself to you,^(G) entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine.”^(H) This is the declaration of the Lord God. ⁹ “I washed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and anointed you with oil. ¹⁰ I clothed you in embroidered cloth and provided you with leather sandals. I also wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. ¹¹ I adorned you with jewelry, putting bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck. ¹² I put a ring in your nose,^(I) earrings on your ears, and a beautiful tiara on your head. ¹³ So you were adorned with gold and silver,^(J) and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became extremely beautiful and attained royalty. ¹⁴ Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor,^(K) which I had bestowed on you.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Paul Answers an Objection

3 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? ² Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted^(A) with the spoken words of God.^{(B) 3} What then? If some did not believe,^(C) will their unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness? ⁴ Absolutely not!^(D) God must be true, even if everyone is a liar,^(E) as it is written:

⁵ But if our unrighteousness highlights^[b] God’s righteousness,^(G) what are we to say?^(H) I use a human argument:^[c](I) Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? ⁶ Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?^{(J) 7} But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?^{(K) 8} And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”?^(L) Their condemnation is deserved!