Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 111

Praise for God’s Wonderful Works

Census of the Levites

³⁴ So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation enrolled the Kohathites, by their clans and their ancestral houses,^{(A) 35} from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who qualified for work relating to the tent of meeting, ³⁶ and their enrollment by clans was two thousand seven hundred fifty. ³⁷ This was the enrollment of the clans of the Kohathites, all who served at the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron enrolled according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses.^(B)

³⁸ The enrollment of the Gershonites, by their clans and their ancestral houses,^{(C) 39} from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who qualified for work relating to the tent of meeting— ⁴⁰ their enrollment by their clans and their ancestral houses was two thousand six hundred thirty. ⁴¹ This was the enrollment of the clans of the Gershonites, all who served at the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron enrolled according to the commandment of the Lord.^(D)

⁴² The enrollment of the clans of the Merarites, by their clans and their ancestral houses, ⁴³ from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who qualified for work relating to the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ and their enrollment by their clans was three thousand two hundred. ⁴⁵ This is the enrollment of the clans of the Merarites, whom Moses and Aaron enrolled according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses.^(E)

⁴⁶ All those who were enrolled of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel enrolled, by their clans and their ancestral houses, ⁴⁷ from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who qualified to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens relating to the tent of meeting,^{(F) 48} and their enrollment was eight thousand five hundred eighty. ⁴⁹ According to the commandment of the Lord through Moses, they were appointed to their several tasks of serving or carrying; thus they were enrolled by him, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Unclean Persons

5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Command the Israelites to put out of the camp everyone who has a defiling skin disease or a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with a corpse;^{(G) 3} you shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp; they must not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”^{(H) 4} The Israelites did so, putting them outside the camp; as the Lord had spoken to Moses, so the Israelites did.

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ² and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.^{(A) 3} Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. ⁵ And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules.^{(B) 6} It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. ⁷ Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.