Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect,
renewing one’s life;(A)
the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy,
making the inexperienced wise.(B)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
making the heart glad;(C)
the command of the Lord is radiant,
making the eyes light up.(D)
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;(E)
the ordinances of the Lord are reliable
and altogether righteous.(F)
10 They are more desirable than gold—
than an abundance of pure gold;(G)
and sweeter than honey,
which comes from the honeycomb.(H)
11 In addition, Your servant is warned by them;
there is great reward in keeping them.(I)
12 Who perceives his unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from my hidden faults.(J)
13 Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins;(K)
do not let them rule over me.(L)
Then I will be innocent
and cleansed from blatant rebellion.(M)
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to You,(N)
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.(O)
13 The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”(A)
17 “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’ father-in-law said to him. 18 “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.(B) 19 Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. 20 Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.(C) 21 But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes.(D) Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.(E) 22 They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load,[a] and they will bear it with you.(F) 23 If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”[b]
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.
27 Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, and he journeyed to his own land.(G)
The Name Forbidden
13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.(A) 14 And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in response. 15 After they had ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign, evident to all who live in Jerusalem, has been done through them, and we cannot deny it!(B) 17 However, so this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.” 18 So they called for them and ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide;(C) 20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”(D)
21 After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them, because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done;(E) 22 for this sign of healing had been performed on a man over 40 years old.
Prayer for Boldness
23 After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, You are the One who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them.(F) 25 You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David Your servant:[a]
Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples plot futile things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand
and the rulers assembled together
against the Lord and against His Messiah.(G)[b]
27 “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people[c] of Israel, assembled together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed,(H) 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness,(I) 30 while You stretch out Your hand for healing, signs, and wonders(J) to be performed through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness.(K)
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