Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

54 Save me, O God, by Thy name, and judge me by Thy strength.

² Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

³ For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul; they have not set God before them. Selah

⁴ Behold, God is mine helper; the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

⁵ He shall reward evil unto mine enemies; cut them off in Thy truth.

⁶ I will freely sacrifice unto Thee; I will praise Thy name, O Lord, for it is good.

⁷ For He hath delivered me out of all trouble, and mine eye hath seen my desire upon mine enemies.

6 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

² And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds.

³ And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the East, even they came up against them.

⁴ And they encamped against them and destroyed the increase of the earth till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor ass.

⁵ For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude, for both they and their camels were without number; and they entered into the land to destroy it.

⁶ And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.

⁷ And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites,

⁸ that the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, who said unto them, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

⁹ and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land.

¹⁰ And I said unto you: ‘I am the Lord your God. Fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell.’ But ye have not obeyed My voice.”

2 And I, brethren, when I came to you declaring unto you the testimony of God, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom.

² For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

³ And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.

⁴ And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

⁵ that your faith should not stand on the wisdom of man, but on the power of God.