Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Lord the Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David.

¹⁶ Go and ^(A)gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, ^(B)“I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; ¹⁷ and I have said ^(C)I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ ¹⁸ Then ^(D)they will heed your voice; and ^(E)you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has ^(F)met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ ¹⁹ But I am sure that the king of Egypt ^(G)will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. ²⁰ So I will ^(H)stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with ^(I)all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and ^(J)after that he will let you go. ²¹ And ^(K)I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. ^22 (L)But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, ^(M)articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So ^(N)you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Moses Goes to Egypt

¹⁸ So Moses went and returned to ^(A)Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.”

And Jethro said to Moses, ^(B)“Go in peace.”

¹⁹ Now the Lord said to Moses in ^(C)Midian, “Go, return to ^(D)Egypt; for all the men who ^(E)sought your life are dead.” ²⁰ Then Moses ^(F)took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took ^(G)the rod of God in his hand.

Submission to Government^(A)

^13 (B)Therefore submit yourselves to every ^[a]ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— ^16 (C)as free, yet not ^(D)using liberty as a cloak for ^[b]vice, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear ^(E)God. Honor the king.