Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Hymn of Thanksgiving
A song of David.
138 Lord, I will thank you with all my heart.
I will sing to you before the false gods.
2 I will bow down facing your holy Temple.
And I will thank you for your love and loyalty.
You have made your name and your word
greater than anything.
3 On the day I called to you, you answered me.
You made me strong and brave.
4 Lord, let all the kings of the earth praise you.
They have heard the words you speak.
5 They will sing about what the Lord has done
because the Lord’s glory is great.
6 Though the Lord is supreme
he takes care of those who are not proud.
But he stays away from those who are proud.
7 Lord, even when I have trouble all around me,
you will keep me alive.
When my enemies are angry,
you will reach down and save me by your power.
8 Lord, you do everything for me.
Lord, your love continues forever.
You made us. Do not leave us.
Joshua Is the New Leader
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Climb this mountain in the Abarim Mountains. Look at the land I have given to the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you will die as your brother Aaron did. 14 You both acted against my command in the Desert of Zin. You did not honor me as holy before the people at the waters of Meribah.” (This was at Meribah in Kadesh in the Desert of Zin.)
15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “The Lord is the God of the spirits of all people. May he choose a good leader for these people. 17 He must go in and out before them. He must lead them out like sheep and bring them in. The Lord’s people must not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun. My Spirit is in him. Put your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the people. Then give him his orders as they watch. 20 Let him share your honor. Then all the Israelites will obey him. 21 He must stand before Eleazar the priest. And Eleazar will get advice from the Lord by using the Urim. At his command all the Israelites will go out. At his command they will all come in.”
22 Moses did what the Lord told him. Moses had Joshua stand before Eleazar the priest and all the people. 23 Then Moses put his hands on him and gave him orders. This was just as the Lord had told him.
Saul in Jerusalem
26 Then Saul went to Jerusalem. He tried to join the group of followers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe that he was really a follower. 27 But Barnabas accepted Saul and took him to the apostles. Barnabas told them that Saul had seen the Lord on the road. He explained how the Lord had spoken to Saul. Then he told them how boldly Saul had preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus.
28 And so Saul stayed with the followers. He went everywhere in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of Jesus. 29 He would often talk and argue with the Jews who spoke Greek. But they were trying to kill him. 30 When the brothers learned about this, they took Saul to Caesarea. From there they sent him to Tarsus.
31 The church everywhere in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the group became stronger. The believers showed that they respected the Lord by the way they lived. Because of this, the group of believers grew larger and larger.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.