Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹³ Now the next day Moses sat to judge [the disputes] the people [had with one another], and the people stood around Moses from dawn to dusk. ¹⁴ When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone [as a judge] with all the people standing around you from dawn to dusk?” ¹⁵ Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to ask [about the will] of God. ¹⁶ When they have a dispute they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

Jethro Counsels Moses

¹⁷ Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you [to bear]; you cannot do it alone. ¹⁹ Now listen to ^[a]me; ^[b]I will advise you, and may God be with you [to confirm my advice]. You shall represent the people before God. You shall bring their disputes and causes to Him. ²⁰ You shall teach them the decrees and laws. You shall show them the way they are to live and the work they are to do. ²¹ Furthermore, you shall select from all the people competent men who [reverently] fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; you shall place these over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. ²² They shall judge the people at all times; have them bring every major dispute to you, but let them judge every minor dispute themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. ²³ If you will do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure [the responsibility], and all these people will also go [back] to their tents in peace.”

²⁴ So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. ²⁵ Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens [from the highest to the lowest judicial levels]. ²⁶ And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but every minor dispute they judged and decided themselves. ²⁷ Then Moses ^[c]said goodbye to his father-in-law, and Jethro went back to his own land (Midian).

Threat and Release

¹³ Now when the men of the Sanhedrin (Jewish High Court) saw the confidence and boldness of Peter and John, and grasped the fact that they were ^[a]uneducated and untrained [ordinary] men, they were astounded, and began to recognize that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in reply. ¹⁵ But after ordering them to step out of the Council [chamber], they began to confer among themselves, ¹⁶ saying, “What are we to do with these men? For the fact that an extraordinary miracle has taken place through them is public knowledge and clearly evident to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But to keep it from spreading further among the people and the nation, let us [sternly] warn them not to speak again to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ So they sent for them, and commanded them not to speak [as His representatives] or teach at all in the name of Jesus [using Him as their authority]. ¹⁹ But Peter and John replied to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you and obey you rather than God, you must judge [for yourselves]; ²⁰ for we, on our part, cannot stop telling [people] about what we have seen and heard.” ²¹ When the rulers and Council members had threatened them further, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because [of their fear] of the people, for they were all praising and glorifying and honoring God for what had happened; ²² for the man to whom this sign (attesting miracle) of healing had happened was more than forty years old.

²³ After Peter and John were released, they returned to their own [people] and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. ²⁴ And when they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “O Sovereign Lord [having complete power and authority], it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything that is in them,^{(A) 25} who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David, Your servant, said,

²⁷ For in this city there were gathered together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined [before the creation of the world] to occur [and so without knowing it, they served Your own purpose]. ²⁹ And now, Lord, observe their threats [take them into account] and grant that Your bond-servants may declare Your message [of salvation] with great confidence, ³⁰ while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders (attesting miracles) take place through the name [and the authority and power] of Your holy Servant and Son Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they were meeting together was shaken [a sign of God’s presence]; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness and courage.