Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹³ The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. ¹⁴ When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” ¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because ^(A)the people come to me to inquire of God; ^16 (B)when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I ^(C)make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” ¹⁷ Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. ^(D)You are not able to do it alone. ¹⁹ Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall ^(E)represent the people before God and ^(F)bring their cases to God, ²⁰ and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know ^(G)the way in which they must walk and ^(H)what they must do. ²¹ Moreover, look for ^(I)able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²² And ^(J)let them judge the people at all times. ^(K)Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will ^(L)bear the burden with you. ²³ If you do this, God will direct you, you will be ^(M)able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

²⁴ So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ^25 (N)Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²⁶ And ^(O)they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. ²⁷ Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and ^(P)he went away to his own country.

^13 (A)Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ But seeing the man who was healed ^(B)standing beside them, ^(C)they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, ¹⁶ saying, ^(D)“What shall we do with these men? For that ^(E)a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them ^(F)to speak no more to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, ^(G)“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, ²⁰ for ^(H)we cannot but speak of what ^(I)we have seen and heard.” ²¹ And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, ^(J)because of the people, for all were praising God ^(K)for what had happened. ²² For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

²³ When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ And when they heard it, they lifted their voices ^(L)together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, ^(M)who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, ²⁵ who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,^[a] said by the Holy Spirit,

²⁷ for truly in this city there were gathered together against your ^(Q)holy servant Jesus, ^(R)whom you anointed, both ^(S)Herod and ^(T)Pontius Pilate, along ^(U)with the Gentiles and ^(V)the peoples of Israel, ^28 (W)to do whatever your hand and ^(X)your plan had predestined to take place. ²⁹ And now, Lord, ^(Y)look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all ^(Z)boldness, ³⁰ while ^(AA)you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed ^(AB)through the name of your ^(AC)holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, ^(AD)the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and ^(AE)they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and ^(AF)continued to speak the word of God with boldness.