Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 23
The Good Shepherd
A Davidic psalm.
1 The Lord is my shepherd;(A)
there is nothing I lack.(B)
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;(C)
He leads me beside quiet waters.(D)
3 He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths[a]
for His name’s sake.(E)
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,[b]
I fear no danger,
for You are with me;(F)
Your rod and Your staff[c]—they comfort me.(G)
16 “Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt.(A) 17 And I have promised you that I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt(B) to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey. 18 They will listen to what you say. Then you, along with the elders of Israel, must go to the king of Egypt and say to him: Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.(C)
19 “However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, unless he is forced by a strong hand.(D) 20 I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles that I will perform in it. After that, he will let you go.(E) 21 And I will give these people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.(F) 22 Each woman will ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry, and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”(G)
Moses’ Return to Egypt
18 Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still living.”
Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
19 Now in Midian the Lord told Moses, “Return to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.”(A) 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took God’s staff(B) in his hand.
13 Submit(A) to every human authority[a] because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor[b] as the supreme authority(B) 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will(C) that you silence the ignorance(D) of foolish people by doing good. 16 As God’s slaves,(E) live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.(F) 17 Honor everyone. Love(G) the brotherhood.(H) Fear God.(I) Honor the Emperor.[c]
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