Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Joy of Forgiveness

A Psalm of David. A ^[a]Contemplation.

Cain Murders Abel^(A)

4 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore ^[a]Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” ² Then she bore again, this time his brother ^[b]Abel. Now ^(B)Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. ³ And ^[c]in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit ^(C)of the ground to the Lord. ⁴ Abel also brought of ^(D)the firstborn of his flock and of ^(E)their fat. And the Lord ^(F)respected Abel and his offering, ⁵ but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

⁶ So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is ^[d]for you, but you should rule over it.”

⁸ Now Cain ^[e]talked with Abel his ^[f]brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and ^(G)killed him.

⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”

He said, ^(H)“I do not know. Am I ^(I)my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰ And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood ^(J)cries out to Me from the ground. ¹¹ So now ^(K)you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”

¹³ And Cain said to the Lord, “My ^[g]punishment is greater than I can bear! ¹⁴ Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; ^(L)I shall be ^(M)hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that ^(N)anyone who finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵ And the Lord said to him, ^[h]“Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him ^(O)sevenfold.” And the Lord set a ^(P)mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

The Family of Cain

¹⁶ Then Cain ^(Q)went out from the ^(R)presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of ^[i]Nod on the east of Eden.

Our Compassionate High Priest

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great ^(A)High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, ^(B)let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For ^(C)we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but ^(D)was in all points tempted as we are, ^(E)yet without sin. ^16 (F)Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Qualifications for High Priesthood

5 For every high priest taken from among men ^(G)is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He can ^[a]have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to ^(H)weakness. ³ Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for ^(I)himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. ⁴ And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as ^(J)Aaron was.

A Priest Forever

^5 (K)So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

⁶ As He also says in another place:

⁷ who, in the days of His flesh, when He had ^(N)offered up prayers and supplications, ^(O)with vehement cries and tears to Him ^(P)who was able to save Him from death, and was heard ^(Q)because of His godly fear, ⁸ though He was a Son, yet He learned ^(R)obedience by the things which He suffered. ⁹ And ^(S)having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, ¹⁰ called by God as High Priest ^(T)“according to the order of Melchizedek,”