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Psalm 51

1  Have mercy on me, O God, in your great goodness; ♦︎
   according to the abundance of your compassion
      blot out my offences.
2  Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness ♦︎
   and cleanse me from my sin.
3  For I acknowledge my faults ♦︎
   and my sin is ever before me.
4  Against you only have I sinned ♦︎
   and done what is evil in your sight,
5  So that you are justified in your sentence ♦︎
   and righteous in your judgement.
6  I have been wicked even from my birth, ♦︎
   a sinner when my mother conceived me.
7  Behold, you desire truth deep within me ♦︎
   and shall make me understand wisdom
      in the depths of my heart.
8  Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; ♦︎
   wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
9  Make me hear of joy and gladness, ♦︎
   that the bones you have broken may rejoice.
10  Turn your face from my sins ♦︎
   and blot out all my misdeeds.
11  Make me a clean heart, O God, ♦︎
   and renew a right spirit within me.
12  Cast me not away from your presence ♦︎
   and take not your holy spirit from me.

The Altar of Incense

30You shall make an altar on which to offer incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. ²It shall be one cubit long, and one cubit wide; it shall be square, and shall be two cubits high; its horns shall be of one piece with it. ³You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, and its sides all round and its horns; and you shall make for it a moulding of gold all round. ⁴And you shall make two golden rings for it; under its moulding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall hold the poles with which to carry it. ⁵You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ⁶You shall place it in front of the curtain that is above the ark of the covenant,^* in front of the mercy-seat^* that is over the covenant,^* where I will meet you. ⁷Aaron shall offer fragrant incense on it; every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall offer it, ⁸and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the evening he shall offer it, a regular incense-offering before the Lord throughout your generations. ⁹You shall not offer unholy incense on it, or a burnt-offering, or a grain-offering; and you shall not pour a drink-offering on it. ¹⁰Once a year Aaron shall perform the rite of atonement on its horns. Throughout your generations he shall perform the atonement for it once a year with the blood of the atoning sin-offering. It is most holy to the Lord.

Jesus the Great High Priest

14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested^* as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

5Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ²He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; ³and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. ⁴And one does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.