Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Kaph
81 My soul languishes for your salvation;
I hope in your word.
82 My eyes long for[a] your word,[b]
saying, “When will you comfort me?”
83 For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
84 How many are the days of your servant?
When will you execute justice against those who persecute me?
85 The arrogant have dug pits[c] for me,
which is not according to[d] your law.
86 All your commands are faithful.
They persecute me deceitfully; help me!
87 They have almost destroyed me on the earth,
but I have not forsaken your precepts.
88 According to your loyal love preserve me alive,
so that I may heed the testimony from your mouth.
8 And you, son of man,[a] hear what I am speaking to you: you must not be rebellious like the house of rebellion. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving to you.” 9 And I looked,[b] and look! There was a hand stretched out to me, and look! In it was a scroll with writing.[c] 10 And he rolled it out[d] before me,[e] and it was written on the front and back, and there were written on it laments and mourning and wailing.[f]
3 And he said to me, “Son of man,[g] what you find, eat! Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 And I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat, 3 and he said to me, “Son of man,[h] you must give your stomach this to eat, and you must fill your belly with this scroll that I am giving to you.” And I ate, and it became like sweet honey[i] in my mouth. 4 And he said to me, “Son of man,[j] come! Go to the house of Israel, and you must speak to them with my words. 5 For you are sent to the house of Israel, not to a people of obscure speech[k] and of a difficult language,[l] 6 and not to many nations of obscure speech[m] and a difficult language[n] whose words[o] you do not understand, for if I had sent you to them they would have listened to you. 7 And the house of Israel, they are not willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me, for all of the house of Israel is hard of forehead, and they are hard of heart. 8 But look, I have made[p] your face hard against[q] their faces and your forehead hard against[r] their forehead. 9 Like a diamond harder than flint[s] I have made your forehead; you must not fear them, and you must not be dismayed on account of them,[t] for they are a rebellious house.[u] 10 And he said to me, “Son of man,[v] all of my words that I shall speak to you, receive into[w] your heart and hear with your ears. 11 And come, go to the exiles,[x] to the children[y] of your people, and you must speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh!’ whether they listen or whether they fail to listen.”
Paul Boasts in His Sufferings
16 Again I say, do not let anyone think I am foolish. But indeed, if you do, accept me even as foolish, in order that I also may boast a little. 17 What I am saying in this project of boasting, I am not saying as the Lord would say, but as in foolishness. 18 Since many are boasting according to human standards, I also will boast. 19 For because you[a] are wise, you put up with foolish people gladly! 20 For you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is presumptious toward you, if someone strikes you in the face. 21 I say this to my shame, namely, that we have been weak.
But in whatever anyone dares to boast—I am speaking in foolishness—I also dare to boast. 22 Are they Hebrews? I am also! Are they Israelites? I am also! Are they descendants of Abraham? I am also! 23 Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as though I were beside myself—I am more so, with far greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with beatings to a much greater degree, in danger of death many times. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. A day and a night I have spent in the deep water. 26 I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own people, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers because of false brothers, 27 with toil and hardship, often in sleepless nights, with hunger and thirst, often going hungry, in cold and poorly clothed. 28 Apart from these external things, there is the pressure on me every day of the anxiety about all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to sin, and I do not burn with indignation? 30 If it is necessary to boast, I will boast about the things related to my weakness[b]. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever[c], knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to take me into custody, 33 and I was lowered through a window through the wall in a rope-basket, and I escaped his hands.
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