Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer to Be Kept Safe

20 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe. ² May He send you help from the house of God, and give you strength from Zion. ³ May He remember all your gifts of grain given on the altar in worship. And may He be pleased with your burnt gifts.

⁴ May He give you the desire of your heart, and make all your plans go well. ⁵ We will sing for joy when you win. In the name of our God we will lift up our flags. May the Lord give you all the things you ask Him for.

⁶ Now I know that the Lord saves His chosen one. He will answer him from His holy heaven, with the saving power of His right hand. ⁷ Some trust in wagons and some in horses. But we will trust in the name of the Lord, our God. ⁸ They have fallen on their knees. But we rise up and stand straight. ⁹ O Lord, save! May the King answer us when we call.

Putting Up the Meeting Tent and Setting It Apart

40 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Set up the holy tent, the meeting tent, on the first day of the first month. ³ Put the special box of the Law there. And hang the curtain in front of it. ⁴ Bring in the table and set its objects on it. Bring in the lamp-stand and light its lamps. ⁵ Set the gold altar of special perfume in front of the box of the Law. Hang the curtain for the door of the meeting tent. ⁶ Set the altar of burnt gifts in front of the door of the holy tent, the meeting tent. ⁷ Set the washing pot between the meeting tent and the altar and put water in it. ⁸ Hang the curtains all around the open space and hang the curtain at the gate of the open space. ⁹ Then take the oil and pour it upon the meeting tent and all that is in it. Set it apart with all its objects, and it will be holy. ¹⁰ Pour the oil upon the altar of burnt gifts and all its objects. Set the altar apart, and it will be most holy. ¹¹ Pour the oil upon the washing pot and its stand, to set it apart.

¹² “Then bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the meeting tent. And wash them with water. ¹³ Put the holy clothing on Aaron. Then pour oil upon him and set him apart to work for Me as a religious leader. ¹⁴ Bring his sons and put long coats on them. ¹⁵ Then pour oil upon them as you have done to their father, so they may serve Me as religious leaders. Pouring oil upon them will make them ready to be religious leaders, they and all their children-to-come.”

We Can Go to God Through Christ

¹⁹ Christian brothers, now we know we can go into the Holiest Place of All because the blood of Jesus was given. ²⁰ We now come to God by the new and living way. Christ made this way for us. He opened the curtain, which was His own body. ²¹ We have a great Religious Leader over the house of God. ²² And so let us come near to God with a true heart full of faith. Our hearts must be made clean from guilty feelings and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold on to the hope we say we have and not be changed. We can trust God that He will do what He promised. ²⁴ Let us help each other to love others and to do good. ²⁵ Let us not stay away from church meetings. Some people are doing this all the time. Comfort each other as you see the day of His return coming near.