Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Joy of Forgiveness
A Psalm of David. A [a]Contemplation.
32 Blessed is he whose (A)transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord (B)does not [b]impute iniquity,
And (C)in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night Your (D)hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
(E)I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 (F)For this cause everyone who is godly shall (G)pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
7 (H)You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with (I)songs of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
9 Do not be like the (J)horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.
Elijah Escapes from Jezebel
19 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had (A)executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, (B)“So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a [a]broom tree. And he (C)prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an [b]angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on [c]coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the [d]angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and (D)forty nights as far as (E)Horeb, the mountain of God.
Bringing Many Sons to Glory
10 For it was fitting for Him, (A)for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation (B)perfect through sufferings. 11 For (C)both He who [a]sanctifies and those who are being sanctified (D)are all of one, for which reason (E)He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying:
(F)“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”
13 And again:
(G)“I will put My trust in Him.”
And again:
(H)“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He (I)Himself likewise shared in the same, (J)that through death He might destroy him who had the power of (K)death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who (L)through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not [b]give aid to angels, but He does [c]give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had (M)to be made like His brethren, that He might be (N)a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 (O)For in that He Himself has suffered, being [d]tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.