Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer of a Suffering Man

38 O Lord, do not speak sharp words to me when You are angry. Do not punish me in Your burning anger. ² For Your arrows have cut deep into me. And Your hand has come down upon me. ³ My body is in pain because of Your anger. There is no strength in my bones because of my sin. ⁴ For my sins are gone over my head. Like a heavy load, they weigh too much for me. ⁵ My sores smell and grow bigger because I do foolish things. ⁶ I cannot stand straight but keep my head down. I have sorrow all day long ⁷ for my body is filled with burning pain. There is no strength in my body. ⁸ I am weak and broken. I cry because of the pain in my heart. ⁹ Lord, all my desire is before You. And my breathing deep within is not hidden from You. ¹⁰ My heart beats fast. My strength leaves me. Even the light of my eyes has gone from me. ¹¹ My loved ones and my friends stay away from me because of my sickness. My family stands far away. ¹² Those who want to take my life set their traps. And those who want to destroy me talk about ways to do it. They make their sinful plans all day long.

¹³ But like a deaf man, I do not hear. I am like one who cannot speak and does not open his mouth. ¹⁴ Yes, I am like a man who does not hear, and whose mouth does not argue. ¹⁵ For I hope in You, O Lord. You will answer, O Lord my God. ¹⁶ For I said, “Do not let them be happy and raise themselves up against me when my foot trips.” ¹⁷ For I am ready to fall. And my sorrow is always with me. ¹⁸ For I tell my wrong-doings. I am full of sorrow because of my sin. ¹⁹ But those who fight against me are full of action and strength. There are many who hate me without reason. ²⁰ They pay what is bad for what is good. They are against me because I follow what is good. ²¹ Do not leave me alone, O Lord! O my God, do not be far from me! ²² Hurry to help me, O Lord, Who saves me!

5 ‘If a person sins by saying nothing when he is told in court to tell what he knows or what he has seen, he will become guilty. ² If a person touches anything that is unclean, the dead body of a wild animal, or of cattle, or of anything that moves on the earth that is unclean, even without knowing it, then he will be unclean and will be guilty. ³ Or if he touches a human who is unclean for whatever reason, without knowing it, when he learns about it, he will be guilty. ⁴ If a person without thinking swears he will do something, whether bad or good, any foolish promise a person may swear, when he learns about it, he will be guilty. ⁵ When a person is guilty in any of these, he should tell of the sin he has done. ⁶ He should bring his guilt gift to the Lord for the sin he has done, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin gift. And the religious leader will pay the price for him for his sin.

⁷ ‘But if he does not have enough money for a lamb, he should bring to the Lord as his guilt gift for his sin two turtle-doves or two young pigeons. One will be for a sin gift, and the other for a burnt gift. ⁸ He will bring them to the religious leader, who will give the sin gift first. He will break its neck without taking off its head. ⁹ Then he will put some of the blood of the sin gift on the side of the altar. He will pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. It is a sin gift. ¹⁰ Then he will make the second bird ready for a burnt gift, by following the Law. So the religious leader will pay the price for him for the sin he has done. And he will be forgiven.

¹¹ ‘But if he does not have enough money for two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, he should bring one- tenth part of a basket of fine flour for a sin gift. He should not put oil or special perfume on it, for it is a sin gift. ¹² He will bring it to the religious leader, who will take a handful of it as a part to be remembered. And he will burn this part of the flour on the altar with the gifts made by fire to the Lord. It is a sin gift. ¹³ So the religious leader will pay the price for him for the sin he has done in any of these things. And he will be forgiven. The rest of the flour will be for the religious leader, as in the grain gift.’”

Jesus Teaches about Forgiving

17 Jesus said to His followers, “For sure, things will come that will make people sin. But it is bad for the person who makes someone else sin. ² It would be better for him to have a large rock put around his neck and be thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.

³ “Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, speak sharp words to him. If he is sorry and turns from his sin, forgive him. ⁴ What if he sins against you seven times in one day? If he comes to you and says he is sorry and turns from his sin, forgive him.”