Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Gimel.
17 (A)Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law.
19 I am a (B)stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 My soul is crushed [a](C)with longing
After Your ordinances at all times.
21 You (D)rebuke the arrogant, [b]the (E)cursed,
Who (F)wander from Your commandments.
22 (G)Take away reproach and contempt from me,
For I (H)observe Your testimonies.
23 Even though (I)princes sit and talk against me,
Your servant (J)meditates on Your statutes.
24 Your testimonies also are my (K)delight;
They are [c]my counselors.
Moses Given Powers
4 Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or (A)listen [a]to what I say? For they may say, ‘(B)The Lord has not appeared to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “(C)A staff.” 3 Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and (D)it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his [b]hand— 5 “that (E)they may believe that (F)the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6 The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was (G)leprous like snow. 7 Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, (H)it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you or [c]heed the [d]witness of the first sign, they may believe the [e]witness of the last sign. 9 But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile (I)will become blood on the dry ground.”
10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, (J)I have never been [f]eloquent, neither [g]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [h]slow of speech and [i]slow of tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or (K)who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and (L)I, even I, will be with your mouth, and (M)teach you what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now [j]send the message by whomever You will.”
Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece
14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that [k]he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, (N)he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You are to speak to him and (O)put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. 16 Moreover, (P)he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17 You shall take in your hand (Q)this staff, (R)with which you shall perform the signs.”
As Newborn Babes
2 Therefore, (A)putting aside all [a]malice and all deceit and [b]hypocrisy and [c]envy and all [d](B)slander, 2 (C)like newborn babies, long for the [e](D)pure [f]milk of the word, so that by it you may (E)grow [g]in respect to salvation, 3 if you have (F)tasted [h](G)the kindness of the Lord.
As Living Stones
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been (H)rejected by men, but is [i]choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 (I)you also, as living stones, [j]are being built up as a (J)spiritual house for a holy (K)priesthood, to (L)offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in [k]Scripture:
“(M)Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a (N)precious corner stone,
And he who believes in [l]Him will not be [m]disappointed.”
7 (O)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
8 and,
“(R)A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;
(S)for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, (T)and to this doom they were also appointed.
9 But you are (U)a chosen race, a royal (V)priesthood, a (W)holy nation, (X)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you (Y)out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 (Z)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.