Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
12 Happy is the nation whose God is Yahweh—
the people He has chosen to be His own possession!(A)
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
He observes everyone.(B)
14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth
from His dwelling place.(C)
15 He alone shapes their hearts;
He considers all their works.(D)
16 A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.(E)
17 The horse is a false hope for safety;
it provides no escape by its great power.(F)
6 Here is a tragedy I have observed under the sun,(A) and it weighs heavily on humanity:[a] 2 God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor(B) so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself,(C) but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy. 3 A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives,[b] if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial,(D) I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.(E) 4 For he comes in futility and he goes in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. 5 Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he. 6 And if he lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do not both go to the same place?
Stephen’s Sermon
7 “Is this true?”[a] the high priest asked.
2 “Brothers and fathers,” he said, “listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,(A) 3 and said to him:
4 “Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this land you now live in.(C) 5 He didn’t give him an inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, but He promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him,(D) even though he was childless. 6 God spoke in this way:
His descendants would be strangers
in a foreign country,
and they would enslave
and oppress them 400 years.
7 I will judge the nation
that they will serve as slaves, God said.
After this, they will come out
and worship Me in this place.(E)[c]
8 Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision. After this, he fathered Isaac and circumcised(F) him on the eighth day; Isaac did the same with Jacob, and Jacob with the 12 patriarchs.(G)
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