Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God Is Good to His People
127 Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders work for nothing. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the men who watch over it stay awake for nothing. 2 You rise up early, and go to bed late, and work hard for your food, all for nothing. For the Lord gives to His loved ones even while they sleep.
3 See, children are a gift from the Lord. The children born to us are our special reward. 4 The children of a young man are like arrows in the hand of a soldier. 5 Happy is the man who has many of them. They will not be put to shame when they speak in the gate with those who hate them.
11 All the people in the gate and the leaders said, “We have heard it. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you become rich in Ephrathah and be known by all in Bethlehem. 12 May your house be like the house of Perez, the son of Judah and Tamar, because of the children the Lord will give you by this young woman.”
The Families to Follow Ruth and Boaz
13 So Boaz took Ruth. She became his wife, and he went in to her. The Lord made it possible for her to have a child and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “Thanks be to the Lord. He has not
left you without a family this day. May his name become known in all of Israel. 15 May he bring you new life and strength while you are old. For your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and held him, and became his nurse. 17 The neighbor women gave him a name. They said, “A son has been born to Naomi!” And they called him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
15 Christ is the One Who gave us this New Way of Worship. All those who have been called by God may receive life that lasts forever just as He promised them. Christ bought us with His blood when He died for us. This made us free from our sins which we did under the Old Way of Worship.
16 When a man wants to give his money to someone after he dies, he writes it all down on paper. But that paper is worth nothing until the man is dead. 17 That piece of paper means nothing as long as he is alive. It is good only when he dies. 18 The Old Way of Worship had to have a death to make it good. The blood of an animal was used. 19 Moses told the people all the things they had to obey in the Law. Then he took the blood of animals together with water and put it on the Book of the Law and on all the people. He used special branches and red wool as he put it on them. 20 Moses said, “This is the blood of the Way of Worship which God said you must obey.” (A) 21 In the same way, Moses put the blood on the tent and on all the things used in worship. 22 The Law says that almost everything is made clean by blood. Sins are not forgiven unless blood is given.
One Perfect Gift
23 The tent to worship in and the things inside to worship with were like the things in heaven. They were made clean by putting blood on them. But the things in heaven were made clean by a much better gift of worship. 24 For Christ did not go into the Holiest Place of All that was made by men, even if it was like the true one in heaven. He went to heaven itself and He is before God for us.
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