Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

38 Unto the end, for Idithun himself, a canticle of David.

² I said: I will take heed to my ways: that I sin not with my tongue. I have set guard to my mouth, when the sinner stood against me.

³ I was dumb, and was humbled, and kept silence from good things: and my sorrow was renewed.

⁴ My heart grew hot within me: and in my meditation a fire shall flame out.

⁵ I spoke with my tongue: O Lord, make me know my end. And what is the number of my days: that I may know what is wanting to me.

⁶ Behold thou hast made my days measurable: and my substance is as nothing before thee. And indeed all things are vanity: every man living.

⁷ Surely man passeth as an image: yea, and he is disquieted in vain. He storeth up: and he knoweth not for whom he shall gather these things.

⁸ And now what is my hope? is it not the Lord? and my substance is with thee.

⁹ Deliver thou me from all my iniquities: thou hast made me a reproach to the fool.

¹⁰ I was dumb, and I opened not my mouth, because thou hast done it.

¹¹ Remove thy scourges from me. The strength of thy hand hath made me faint in rebukes:

¹² Thou hast corrected man for iniquity. And thou hast made his soul to waste away like a spider: surely in vain is any man disquieted.

¹³ Hear my prayer, O Lord, and my supplication: give ear to my tears. Be not silent: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my fathers were.

¹⁴ O forgive me, that I may be refreshed, before I go hence, and be no more.

5 If any one sin, and hear the voice of one swearing, and is a witness either because he himself hath seen, or is privy to it: if he do not utter it, he shall bear his iniquity.

² Whosoever toucheth any unclean thing, either that which hath been killed by a beast, or died of itself, or any other creeping thing: and forgetteth his uncleanness, he is guilty, and hath offended:

³ And if he touch any thing of the uncleanness of man, according to any uncleanness wherewith he is wont to be defiled, and having forgotten it, come afterwards to know it, he shall be guilty of an offence.

⁴ The person that sweareth, and uttereth with his lips, that he would do either evil or good, and bindeth the same with an oath, and his word, and having forgotten it afterwards understandeth his offence,

⁵ Let him do penance for his sin,

⁶ And offer of the flocks an ewe lamb, or a she goat, and the priest shall pray for him and for his sin:

⁷ But if he be not able to offer a beast, let him offer two turtles, or two young pigeons to the Lord, one for sin, and the other for a holocaust,

⁸ And he shall give them to the priest: who shall offer the first for sin, and twist back the head of it to the little pinions, so that it stick to the neck, and be not altogether broken off.

⁹ And of its blood he shall sprinkle the side of the altar, and whatsoever is left, he shall let it drop at the bottom thereof, because it is for sin.

¹⁰ And the other he shall burn for a holocaust, as is wont to be done: and the priest shall pray for him, and for his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.

¹¹ And if his hand be not able to offer two turtles, or two young pigeons, he shall offer for his sin the tenth part of an ephi of flour. He shall not put oil upon it, nor put any frankincense thereon, because it is for sin:

¹² And he shall deliver it to the priest: who shall take a handful thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar for a memorial of him that offered it:

¹³ Praying for him and making atonement: but the part that is left, he himself shall have for a gift.

17 And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should not come: but woe to him through whom they come.

² It were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones.

³ Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother sin against thee, reprove him: and if he do penance, forgive him.

⁴ And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying, I repent; forgive him.