April 3 (Leviticus 6; Psalms 5–6; Proverbs 21; Colossians 4)

A reading from Leviticus.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against

the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery,

or if he has oppressed his neighbor, or has find something lost and lied about it, swearing

falsely in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby.

If he has sinned and has realized his guilt, and will restore what he took by robbery,

or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him, or the lost thing

that he find, or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full

and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him, to him it belongs, on the day he realizes

his guilt, and he shall bring to the priest as his compensation to the Lord, a ram without

blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a guilt offering, and the priest shall

make a tonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things

that one may do and thereby become guilty.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of

the burnt offering, the burnt offering shall be on the hearth, on the altar, all night

until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it, and the priest

shall put on his linen garment, and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall

take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar, and put

them beside the altar.

And he shall take off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry the ashes

outside the camp to a clean place.

The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not go out.

The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on

it, and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.

There shall be kept burning on the altar continually, it shall not go out.

And this is the law of the grain offering, the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the

Lord in front of the altar, and one shall take from it a handful of the fine flower of

the grain offering, and its oil, and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering,

and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

With the rest of it, Aaron and his sons shall eat.

It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place.

In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it.

It shall not be baked with leaven.

I have given it as their portion of my food offerings.

It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering, and the guilt offering.

Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout

your generations, from the Lord's food offerings.

Whatever touches them shall become holy.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall

offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed.

A tenth of an ifa of fine flower as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning,

and half in the evening, it shall be made with oil on a griddle.

He shall bring it well mixed, in baked pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a

pleasing aroma to the Lord.

The priest from among Aaron's sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it

to the Lord as decreed forever.

The whole of it shall be burned.

Every grain offering of a priest shall be holy burned.

It shall not be eaten.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law

of the sin offering.

In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before

the Lord.

It is most holy.

The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it.

In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting.

Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment,

you shall wash that, on which it was splashed, in a holy place.

And the earthenware vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken.

But if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scurred and rinsed in water.

Every male among the priests may eat of it.

It is most holy.

And no sin offering shall be eaten, from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting

to make atonement in the holy place.

It shall be burned up with fire.

A reading from Psalms.

To the choir master for the flutes, a Psalm of David.

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my groaning.

Have attention to the sound of my cry, my king and my God, for to you do I pray.

O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice, in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you

and watch.

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness, evil may not dwell with you.

The boastful shall not stand before your eyes.

You hear all evil doers.

You destroy those who speak lies, the Lord abores the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.

I will abide down to ward your holy temple, in the fear of you.

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness, because of my enemies.

Make your way straight before me.

For there is no truth in their mouth.

Their inmost self is destruction.

Their throat is an open grave.

They flatter with their tongue.

Make them bear their guilt, O God.

Let them fall by their own counsels, because of the abundance of their transgressions cast

them out, for they have rebelled against you.

Let all who take refuge in you, rejoice, let them ever sing for joy, and spread your

protection over them, that those who love your name may exalt in you.

For you bless the righteous, O Lord.

You cover him with favour as with a shield.

To the choir master with stringed instruments, according to the shamanith, a psalm of David.

O Lord, rebuke me not on your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing.

Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.

My soul also is greatly troubled, but you, O Lord, how long?

Turn, O Lord, deliver my life.

Leave me for the sake of your steadfast love.

For in death there is no remembrance of you, in sheol who will give you praise.

I am weary with my moaning, every night I flood my bed with tears, I drench my couch

with my weeping, my eye wastes away because of grief.

It grows weak because of all my foes, depart from me all you workers of evil, for the

Lord has heard the sign of my weeping.

The Lord has heard my plea, the Lord accepts my prayer.

All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled.

They shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

A reading from Proverbs.

The King's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord.

He turns it wherever he will.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.

To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Houghty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is heasty comes only to

poverty.

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.

The violence of the wicked will sweep them away because they refuse to do what is just.

The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright.

It is better to live in a corner of the heistop than in a heist shared with a quarrelsome wife.

The soul of the wicked desires evil.

His neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.

When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise.

When a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

The righteous one observes the heist of the wicked.

He throws the wicked down to ruin.

He ever closes his ear to the cry of the pure, will himself call out and not be answered.

A gift in secret, avert's anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.

When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous, but terror to evil doers.

One who wonders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead.

He ever loves pleasure will be a pure man.

He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

The wicked is a ransom for the righteous and the traitor for the upright.

It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.

Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.

He ever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honour.

A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they

trust.

He ever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Scoffer is the name of the arrogant, haughty man, who acts with arrogant pride.

The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labour.

All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, how much more when he brings it with evil intent.

A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears will endure.

A wicked man pits on a bold face, but the upright gives thought to his ways.

No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel, can avail against the Lord.

The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.

A reading from Colossians, Masters treat your bond servants justly and fairly, knowing

that you also have a master in heaven.

Then you steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it, with thanksgiving.

At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare

the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear,

which is high I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought

to answer each person.

Tichicus will tell you all about my activities.

He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.

I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may

encourage your hearts.

And with him and Ezemus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you, they will

tell you of everything that has taken place here.

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you and mark the cousin of Barnabas concerning

whom you have received instructions.

If he comes to you, welcome him.

And Jesus, who is called justice.

These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow-workers for the kingdom of

God, and they have been a comfort to me.

Yipafras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling

on your behalf and his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the

will of God.

For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Leidesia and in

Hierapolis.

Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demus.

Give my greetings to the brothers at Leidesia and to Nympha and the church in her house.

And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Leidesians

and see that you also read the letter from Leidesia.

And say to Archipus, see that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.

Remember my chains.

Grace be with you.