Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
God Is King
93 The Lord rules. He is dressed with great power. The Lord has dressed Himself with strength. For sure, the world is built to last. It will not be moved. 2 Your throne is set up from long ago. You have always been. 3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord. The floods have lifted up their voice. The floods lift up their beating waves. 4 The Lord on high is more powerful than the sound of many waters and the strong waves of the sea. 5 Your Word is very sure. O Lord, Your house is holy forever.
Words against the King of Tyre
28 The Word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, tell the leader of Tyre, ‘The Lord God says, “Because your heart is proud, you have said, ‘I am a god. I sit in the seat of gods, with the seas around me.’ Yet you are a man and not God, even if you think you are as wise as God. 3 You are wiser than Daniel. There is no secret that is hidden from you. 4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gathered riches for yourself. You have gathered gold and silver for your store-houses. 5 By all your wisdom in trade you have added to your riches, and your heart has become proud because of them. 6 So the Lord God says, ‘Because you think you are as wise as God, 7 I will bring strangers against you, those who have the hardest hearts of all the nations. With their swords they will destroy the beauty of your wisdom and your greatness. 8 They will bring you down to the grave. You will die the death of those who are killed on the sea. 9 Will you still say, “I am a god,” in front of those who kill you? You will be only a man and not a god in the hands of those who kill you. 10 You will be killed by strangers, and will die the death of one who has not gone through the religious act of My people. For I have spoken,’ says the Lord God.”’”
Stephen Is Killed
54 The Jews and religious leaders listened to Stephen. Then they became angry and began to grind their teeth at him. 55 He was filled with the Holy Spirit. As he looked up to heaven, he saw the shining-greatness of God and Jesus standing at the right side of God. 56 He said, “See! I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!” 57 They cried out with loud voices. They put their hands over their ears and they all pushed on him. 58 Then they took him out of the city and threw stones at him. The men who were throwing the stones laid their coats down in front of a young man named Saul. 59 While they threw stones at Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 After that he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.
It Is Hard for the Christians in Jerusalem
8 Saul thought it was all right that Stephen was killed. On that day people started to work very hard against the church in Jerusalem. All the followers, except the missionaries, were made to leave. They went to parts of the countries of Judea and Samaria.
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