Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
God Reigns
93 The Lord reigns! He is clothed in majesty;
the Lord is clothed,
and he is girded[a] with strength.
Indeed, the world is well established,
and cannot be shaken.
2 Your throne has been established since time immemorial;
you are king from eternity.
3 The rivers have flooded, Lord;
the rivers have spoken aloud,
the rivers have lifted up their crushing waves.
4 More than the sound of surging waters—
the majestic waves of the sea—
the Lord on high is majestic.
5 Your decrees are very trustworthy,
and holiness always befits your house, Lord.
Prophecy against Tyre
28 This message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of Man, tell Tyre’s Commander-in-Chief,[a] ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“Because your heart is arrogant,[b]
and because you keep saying,
‘I have taken my seat,
I am a god,
seated in God’s seat right in the middle[c] of the sea,’[d]
and because you’re a man,
and not a god,
even though you pretend
that you have a god-like heart…
3 Look! You’re wiser than Daniel, aren’t you?
No secret is too mysterious for you!
4 Your wisdom and understanding
brought you phenomenal wealth.
You’ve brought gold and silver
into your treasuries.
5 By your great wisdom,
by your skills in trading
you have amassed wealth for yourself
and your heart has become arrogant
because of your wealth.”
6 Therefore this is what the Lord God says:
“Because you’ve made your heart
like that of God
7 Therefore, look!
I’m bringing foreigners in your direction,
the most terrifying of nations!
They will direct their violence[e]
against the grandeur
that you’ve created by your wisdom.
8 They’ll send you down to the Pit,[f]
and you’ll die defiled in the depths of the sea.
9 Is that when you’ll say, ‘I’m God’
to the face of those who will be killing you?
After all, you’re a man,
and have never been a god,
especially when you’re under the control[g] of those
who will defile you!
10 You will die a death fit for the uncircumcised
at the hand of foreigners.”
‘for I have said it will be so,’
declares the Lord.”
Stephen is Stoned to Death
54 While they were listening to these things, they became more and more furious and began to grind their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen,[a] filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 He said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57 But they shouted out loud, stopped listening, and together they all rushed at him, 58 ran him outside of the city, and began to stone him to death. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 As they continued to stone Stephen, he kept praying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” After he had said this, he died.[b]
The Church is Scattered
8 Now Saul heartily approved of putting Stephen[c] to death. That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except for the apostles was scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.
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