Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 17[a]
A prayer of David.
17 Lord, consider my just cause.[b]
Pay attention to my cry for help.
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer.[c]
2 Make a just decision on my behalf.[d]
Decide what is right.[e]
3 You have scrutinized my inner motives;[f]
you have examined me during the night.[g]
You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.
I am determined I will say nothing sinful.[h]
4 As for the actions of people[i]—
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men.[j]
5 I carefully obey your commands;[k]
I do not deviate from them.[l]
6 I call to you because you will answer me, O God.
Listen to me![m]
Hear what I say![n]
7 Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds,[o]
you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies.[p]
8 Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye.[q]
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.[r]
9 Protect me from[s] the wicked men who attack[t] me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill.[u]
Respect for the Sanctity of Others
5 If brothers live together and one of them dies without having a son, the dead man’s wife must not remarry someone outside the family. Instead, her late husband’s brother must go to her, marry her,[a] and perform the duty of a brother-in-law.[b] 6 Then[c] the first son[d] she bears will continue the name of the dead brother, thus preventing his name from being blotted out of Israel. 7 But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, then she[e] must go to the elders at the town gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel; he is unwilling to perform the duty of a brother-in-law to me!” 8 Then the elders of his city must summon him and speak to him. If he persists, saying, “I don’t want to marry her,” 9 then his sister-in-law must approach him in view of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face.[f] She will then respond, “Thus may it be done to any man who does not maintain his brother’s family line!”[g] 10 His family name will be referred to[h] in Israel as “the family[i] of the one whose sandal was removed.”[j]
The Roman Commander Questions Paul
22 The crowd[a] was listening to him until he said this.[b] Then[c] they raised their voices and shouted,[d] “Away with this man[e] from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!”[f] 23 While they were screaming[g] and throwing off their cloaks[h] and tossing dust[i] in the air, 24 the commanding officer[j] ordered Paul[k] to be brought back into the barracks.[l] He told them[m] to interrogate Paul[n] by beating him with a lash[o] so that he could find out the reason the crowd[p] was shouting at Paul[q] in this way. 25 When they had stretched him out for the lash,[r] Paul said to the centurion[s] standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen[t] without a proper trial?”[u] 26 When the centurion[v] heard this,[w] he went to the commanding officer[x] and reported it,[y] saying, “What are you about to do?[z] For this man is a Roman citizen.”[aa] 27 So the commanding officer[ab] came and asked[ac] Paul,[ad] “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”[ae] He replied,[af] “Yes.” 28 The commanding officer[ag] answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.”[ah] “But I was even[ai] born a citizen,”[aj] Paul replied.[ak] 29 Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away[al] from him, and the commanding officer[am] was frightened when he realized that Paul[an] was[ao] a Roman citizen[ap] and that he had had him tied up.[aq]
Paul Before the Sanhedrin
30 The next day, because the commanding officer[ar] wanted to know the true reason[as] Paul[at] was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council[au] to assemble. He then brought[av] Paul down and had him stand before them.
23 Paul looked directly[aw] at the council[ax] and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience[ay] before God to this day.” 2 At that[az] the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near[ba] Paul[bb] to strike[bc] him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall![bd] Do[be] you sit there judging me according to the law,[bf] and in violation of the law[bg] you order me to be struck?” 4 Those standing near him[bh] said, “Do you dare insult[bi] God’s high priest?” 5 Paul replied,[bj] “I did not realize,[bk] brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’”[bl]
6 Then when Paul noticed[bm] that part of them were Sadducees[bn] and the others Pharisees,[bo] he shouted out in the council,[bp] “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection[bq] of the dead!” 7 When he said this,[br] an argument[bs] began[bt] between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)[bu] 9 There was a great commotion,[bv] and some experts in the law[bw] from the party of the Pharisees stood up[bx] and protested strongly,[by] “We find nothing wrong[bz] with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 When the argument became[ca] so great the commanding officer[cb] feared that they would tear Paul to pieces,[cc] he ordered the detachment[cd] to go down, take him away from them by force,[ce] and bring him into the barracks.[cf]
11 The following night the Lord[cg] stood near[ch] Paul[ci] and said, “Have courage,[cj] for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”[ck]
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