Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
To the director: A song of David.
31 Lord, I come to you for protection.
Don’t let me be disappointed.
You always do what is right, so save me.
2 Listen to me.
Come quickly and save me.
Be my Rock, my place of safety.
Be my fortress and protect me!
3 Yes, you are my Rock and my protection.
For the good of your name, lead me and guide me.
4 Save me from the traps my enemy has set.
You are my place of safety.
5 Lord, you are the God we can trust.
I put my life[a] in your hands.
Save me!
15 My life is in your hands.
Save me from those who are persecuting me.
16 Please welcome and accept your servant.[a]
Be kind to me and save me.
God Calls Abram
12 The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country and your people. Leave your father’s family and go to the country that I will show you.
2 I will build a great nation from you.
I will bless you
and make your name famous.
People will use your name
to bless other people.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and I will curse those who curse you.
I will use you to bless
all the people on earth.”
Some Jews Against Stephen
8 Stephen received a great blessing. God gave him power to do great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9 But some of the Jews there were from the synagogue of Free Men, as it was called. The group included Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia. They started arguing with Stephen. 10 But the Spirit was helping him speak with wisdom. His words were so strong that these Jews could not argue with him.
11 So they told some men to say, “We heard Stephen say bad things against Moses and against God!” 12 By doing this, these Jews upset the people, the older Jewish leaders, and the teachers of the law. They became so angry that they came and grabbed Stephen and took him to a meeting of the high council.
13 The Jews brought some men into the meeting to tell lies about Stephen. These men said, “This man is always saying things against this holy place and against the Law of Moses. 14 We heard him say that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change what Moses told us to do.” 15 Everyone there in the council meeting was staring at Stephen. They saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International