Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 146

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you^{(A) 19} and you eat the food of the land,^(B) present a portion as an offering to the Lord.^{(C) 20} Present a loaf from the first of your ground meal^(D) and present it as an offering from the threshing floor.^{(E) 21} Throughout the generations to come^(F) you are to give this offering to the Lord from the first of your ground meal.^(G)

Offerings for Unintentional Sins

²² “‘Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the Lord gave Moses^(H)— ²³ any of the Lord’s commands to you through him, from the day the Lord gave them and continuing through the generations to come^(I)— ²⁴ and if this is done unintentionally^(J) without the community being aware of it,^(K) then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering^(L) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord,^(M) along with its prescribed grain offering^(N) and drink offering,^(O) and a male goat for a sin offering.^{[a](P) 25} The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven,^(Q) for it was not intentional^(R) and they have presented to the Lord for their wrong a food offering^(S) and a sin offering.^{(T) 26} The whole Israelite community and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.^(U)

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”^(A)

So Paul motioned with his hand^(B) and began his defense: ² “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you^(C) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,^{(D) 3} and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs^(E) and controversies.^(F) Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴ “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,^(G) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. ⁵ They have known me for a long time^(H) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect^(I) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.^{(J) 6} And now it is because of my hope^(K) in what God has promised our ancestors^(L) that I am on trial today. ⁷ This is the promise our twelve tribes^(M) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.^(N) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.^{(O) 8} Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?^(P)

⁹ “I too was convinced^(Q) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose^(R) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.^{(S) 10} And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people^(T) in prison,^(U) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.^{(V) 11} Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,^(W) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.