Sunday 16 September 2040

7The Lord spoke to Moses, “Go, get down;for your people,whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt,have corrupted themselves!8They have turned away quickly out of the waywhich I commanded them.They have made themselves a molded calf,and have worshiped it,and have sacrificed to it,and said, ‘These are your gods,Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”

9The Lord said to Moses,“I have seen these people,and behold, they are a stiff-necked people.10Now therefore leave me alone,that my wrath may burn hot against them,and that I may consume them;and I will make of you a great nation.”

11Moses begged the Lord his God,and said, “Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people,that you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great powerand with a mighty hand?· · · verse 12 is not read13Remember Abraham, Isaac,and Israel, your servants,to whom you swore by your own self,and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky,and all this landthat I have spoken of I will give to your offspring,and they shall inherit it forever.’”

14So the Lord turned away from the evilwhich he said he would do to his people.

3Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness.According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.4Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity.Cleanse me from my sin.

12Create in me a clean heart, O God.Renew a right spirit within me.13Don’t throw me from your presence,and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

17Lord, open my lips.My mouth will declare your praise.19The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.

12I thank him who enabled me,Christ Jesus our Lord,because he counted me faithful,appointing me to service,13although I used to be a blasphemer,a persecutor, and insolent.However, I obtained mercybecause I did it ignorantly in unbelief.14The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faithand love which is in Christ Jesus.15The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance,that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,of whom I am chief.16However, for this cause I obtained mercy,that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience for an example of thosewho were going to believe in him for eternal life.17Now to the King eternal,immortal, invisible,to God who alone is wise,be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1Now all the tax collectorsand sinners were coming close to him to hear him.2The Pharisees and the scribes murmured,saying, “This man welcomes sinners,and eats with them.”

3He told them this parable:4“Which of you men,if you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them,wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wildernessand go after the one that was lost,until he found it?5When he has found it,he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.6When he comes home,he calls together his friends and his neighbors,saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me,for I have found my sheep which was lost!’7I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents,than over ninety-nine righteous peoplewho need no repentance.

8“Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins,if she lost one drachma coin,wouldn’t light a lamp,sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it?9When she has found it,she calls together her friends and neighbors,saying, ‘Rejoice with me,for I have found the drachma which I had lost!’10Even so, I tell you,there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”

11He said, “A certain man had two sons.12The younger of them said to his father,‘Father, give me my share of your property.’So he divided his livelihood between them.13Not many days after,the younger son gathered all of this togetherand traveled into a far country.There he wasted his property with riotous living.14When he had spent all of it,there arose a severe famine in that country,and he began to be in need.15He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country,and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.16He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate,but no one gave him any.17But when he came to himself,he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare,and I’m dying with hunger!18I will get up and go to my father,and will tell him,“Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.19I am no more worthy to be called your son.Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

20“He arose and came to his father.But while he was still far off,his father saw him and was moved with compassion,and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.21The son said to him,‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22“But the father said to his servants,‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him.Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.23Bring the fattened calf,kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate;24for this, my son, was dead and is alive again.He was lost and is found.’Then they began to celebrate.

25“Now his elder son was in the field.As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.26He called one of the servants to himand asked what was going on.27He said to him, ‘Your brother has come,and your father has killed the fattened calf,because he has received him back safe and healthy.’28But he was angry and would not go in.Therefore his father came out and begged him.29But he answered his father,‘Behold, these many years I have served you,and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours,but you never gave me a goat,that I might celebrate with my friends.30But when this your son came,who has devoured your living with prostitutes,you killed the fattened calf for him.’

31“He said to him, ‘Son,you are always with me,and all that is mine is yours.32But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad,for this, your brother,was dead, and is alive again.He was lost, and is found.’”