Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Nations Praise God

67 May God show loving-kindness toward us and bring good to us. May He make His face shine upon us. ² May Your way be known on the earth, and Your saving power among all nations. ³ May the people praise You, O God. May all the people praise You. ⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy. For You will be fair when You judge the people and rule the nations of the earth. ⁵ May the people praise You, O God. May all the people praise You. ⁶ The earth has given its fruit. God, our God, will bring good to us. ⁷ God will bring good to us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.

A Prayer for Help

¹⁵ Look down from heaven, and see from Your holy and beautiful house. Where are Your strong desires and Your powerful works? Your kindness and Your loving-pity are kept from me. ¹⁶ For You are our Father. Even though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not see who we are, You, O Lord, are our Father. The One Who bought us and made us free from long ago is Your name. ¹⁷ O Lord, why do You make us turn aside from Your ways and make our hearts hard so we do not fear You? Return because of Your servants, the families of Your promised land. ¹⁸ Your holy people kept Your holy house for a little while. But those who hate us have broken it under their feet. ¹⁹ We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, like those who were not called by Your name.

¹⁹ By this time some Jews from the cities of Antioch and Iconium came. They turned the minds of the people against Paul and Barnabas and told them to throw stones at Paul. After they threw stones at him, they dragged him out of the city thinking he was dead.

Paul and Barnabas Preach to the Christians on Their Return Trip to Antioch

²⁰ As the Christians gathered around Paul, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he went with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹ In that city they preached the Good News and taught many people. Then they returned to the cities of Lystra and Iconium and Antioch. ²² In each city they helped the Christians to be strong and true to the faith. They told them, “We must suffer many hard things to get into the holy nation of God.”

²³ In every church they chose leaders for them. They went without food during that time so they could pray better. Paul and Barnabas prayed for the leaders, giving them over to the Lord in Whom they believed.

²⁴ When they had gone through the city of Pisidia, they came to the city of Pamphylia. ²⁵ Then they preached the Good News in the city of Perga. After this they went down to the city of Attalia. ²⁶ From there they went by ship to Antioch where they had been given to the Lord for His work. The work of this trip was done.

²⁷ When they got there, they called the church together. They told them everything God had done for them. They told how God had opened the door for the people who were not Jews to have faith. ²⁸ They stayed there with the followers a long time.