Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 119[a]
א (Alef)
119 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless,[b]
who obey[c] the law of the Lord.
2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,
and seek him with all their heart,
3 who, moreover, do no wrong,
but follow in his footsteps.[d]
4 You demand that your precepts
be carefully kept.[e]
5 If only I were predisposed[f]
to keep your statutes.
6 Then I would not be ashamed,
if[g] I were focused on[h] all your commands.
7 I will give you sincere thanks,[i]
when I learn your just regulations.
8 I will keep your statutes.
Do not completely abandon me.[j]
Laws about Property
22 [a] (21:37)[b] “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he must pay back[c] five head of cattle for the ox, and four sheep for the one sheep.[d]
2 “If a thief is caught[e] breaking in[f] and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guilt for him.[g] 3 If the sun has risen on him, then there is blood guilt for him. A thief[h] must surely make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he will be sold for his theft. 4 If the stolen item should in fact be found[i] alive in his possession,[j] whether it be an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he must pay back double.[k]
5 “If a man grazes[l] his livestock[m] in a field or a vineyard and he lets the livestock loose and they graze in the field of another man, he must make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.
6 “If a fire breaks out and spreads to[n] thorn bushes,[o] so that stacked grain or standing grain or the whole field is consumed, the one who started[p] the fire must surely make restitution.
7 “If a man gives his neighbor money or articles[q] for safekeeping[r] and it is stolen from the man’s house, if the thief is caught,[s] he must repay double. 8 If the thief is not caught,[t] then the owner of the house will be brought before the judges[u] to see[v] whether he has laid[w] his hand on his neighbor’s goods. 9 In all cases of illegal possessions,[x] whether for an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any kind of lost item, about which someone says ‘This belongs to me,’[y] the matter of the two of them will come before the judges,[z] and the one whom[aa] the judges declare guilty[ab] must repay double to his neighbor. 10 If a man gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep, and it dies or is injured[ac] or is carried away[ad] without anyone seeing it,[ae] 11 then there will be an oath to the Lord[af] between the two of them, that he has not laid his hand on his neighbor’s goods, and its owner will accept this, and he will not have to pay. 12 But if it was stolen[ag] from him,[ah] he will pay its owner. 13 If it is torn in pieces, then he will bring it for evidence,[ai] and he will not have to pay for what was torn.
14 “If a man borrows an animal[aj] from his neighbor and it is hurt or dies when its owner was not with it, the man who borrowed it[ak] will surely pay. 15 If its owner was with it, he will not have to pay; if it was hired, what was paid for the hire covers it.[al]
The Arrangement and Ritual of the Earthly Sanctuary
9 Now the first covenant,[a] in fact, had regulations for worship and its earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tent was prepared, the outer one,[b] which contained[c] the lampstand, the table, and the presentation of the loaves; this[d] is called the Holy Place. 3 And after the second curtain there was a tent called the holy of holies. 4 It contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. In this ark[e] were the golden urn containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 And above the ark[f] were the cherubim[g] of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak of these things in detail. 6 So with these things prepared like this, the priests enter continually into the outer tent[h] as they perform their duties. 7 But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent,[i] and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.[j] 8 The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the Holy Place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle[k] was standing. 9 This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They served only for matters of food and drink[l] and various ritual washings; they are external regulations[m] imposed until the new order came.[n]
Christ’s Service in the Heavenly Sanctuary
11 But now Christ has come[o] as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, 12 and he entered once for all into the Most Holy Place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured[p] eternal redemption.
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