Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Psalm of David, Maschil.

¹ ¶ Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

² Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile.

³ When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

⁴ For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my green growth is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

⁵ I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and I have not hid my iniquity. I said, I will confess (against myself) my rebellions unto the LORD, and thou shalt forgive the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

⁶ For this shall every one that is merciful pray unto thee in the time when thou may be found; surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come near unto him.

⁷ ¶ Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

⁸ I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will fix mine eyes upon thee.

⁹ Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in subjection with bit and bridle, or they will not come near unto thee.

¹⁰ There are many sorrows for the wicked; but he that waits in the LORD, mercy shall compass him round about.

¹¹ Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, ye righteous, and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

4 ¶ And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain and said, I have gained a man by the LORD.

² And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a pastor of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

³ ¶ And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground a present unto the LORD.

⁴ And Abel, he also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD looked upon Abel and his present,

⁵ but he did not look upon Cain and his present. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

⁶ ¶ Then the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

⁷ If thou doest good, it shall certainly be accepted; and if thou doest not good, sin lies at the door. And his desire shall be unto thee, but thou must rule over him.

⁸ ¶ And Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him.

⁹ ¶ And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not, Am I my brother’s keeper?

¹⁰ And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground.

¹¹ And now thou art cursed from the earth, which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

¹² when thou tillest the ground, from now on it shall not yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

¹³ ¶ And Cain said unto the LORD, My iniquity is greater than I can bear.

¹⁴ Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I hide; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass that anyone that finds me shall slay me.

¹⁵ And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

¹⁶ ¶ And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.

¹⁴ Having, therefore, a great high priest who penetrated the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast this profession of our hope.

¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶ Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of his grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

5 ¶ For every high priest is taken from among men, constituted on behalf of men in things relating to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins,

² who can have compassion on the ignorant and on those that are in error; for he himself is also compassed with weakness.

³ And by reason of this he ought, as for the people so also for himself, to offer for sins.

⁴ And no one takes this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

⁵ So also the Christ did not glorify himself to make himself high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son; today have I begotten thee.

⁶ As he said also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

⁷ Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, was heard because of his reverent fear;

⁸ although he was the Son of God, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered;

⁹ and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal saving health unto all those that hearken unto him,

¹⁰ ¶ named by God high priest after the order of Melchisedec.