Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 31
A Plea for Protection
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 Lord, I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.(A)
Save me by Your righteousness.
2 Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mountain fortress to save me.(B)
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;(C)
You lead and guide me
because of Your name.(D)
4 You will free me from the net
that is secretly set for me,
for You are my refuge.(E)
5 Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;(F)
You redeem[a] me, Lord, God of truth.(G)
The Call of Abram
12 The Lord said to Abram:
Go out from your land,
your relatives,
and your father’s house
to the land that I will show you.(A)
2 I will make you into a great nation,(B)
I will bless you,(C)
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.[a](D)
3 I will bless those who bless you,
I will curse those who treat you with contempt,(E)
and all the peoples[b] on earth
will be blessed[c] through you.[d](F)
Stephen Accused of Blasphemy
8 Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some from what is called the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.
11 Then they persuaded some men to say, “We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!”(A) 12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, dragged him off, and took him to the Sanhedrin. 13 They also presented false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.(B) 14 For we heard him say that Jesus, this Nazarene, will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”(C) 15 And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
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