Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
8 It is not concerning a lack of your sacrifices that I rebuke you,
and your burnt offerings are before me continually.
9 I will not take from your house a bull
or from your stalls a he-goat,
10 because every animal of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird of the mountains,
and every moving creature in the field is mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
because the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a thank offering
and pay your vows to the Most High.
15 And call me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will glorify me.”
40 Let us test and examine our ways;
let us return to Yahweh.
41 Let us lift up our hearts with our hands
to God in the heavens.
42 We ourselves have transgressed and rebelled,
you have not forgiven.
43 You have covered yourself in anger[a] and pursued us,
you have slain and not shown mercy.
44 You have covered yourself in a cloud
so that prayer cannot pass through.[b]
45 You have made us scum and refuse
in the midst of the nations.
46 All our enemies
have opened their mouth against us.
47 Fear and a pit have come upon us,
desolation and destruction.
48 Channels of water run down my eyes
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes have poured down unceasingly
without respite,
50 until Yahweh looks down
and sees from heaven.
51 My eyes inflict my soul
because of all the daughters of my city.
52 My enemies hunt me without cause,
like a bird.
53 They have silenced me in a pit,[c]
they have thrown a stone at me.
54 Water has flown over my head,
I said, “I am cut off.”
55 I have called your name, O Yahweh,
from the depths of the pit.
56 You have heard my cry, “Do not shut your ear
to my cry for help, for my relief!”
57 You came near on a day when I called you,
you said, “Do not fear!”
58 O Lord, you have pleaded for my cause,[d]
you have redeemed my life.
Paul on Malta
28 And after we[a] were brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 And the local inhabitants showed extraordinary[b] kindness to us, for they lit a fire and[c] welcomed us all, because of the rain that had begun and because of the cold. 3 And when[d] Paul had gathered a large number of sticks and was placing them[e] on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and[f] fastened itself on his hand. 4 And when the local people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying[g] to one another, “Doubtless this man is a murderer whom, although he[h] was rescued from the sea, Justice[i] has not permitted to live!” 5 He, in turn, shook off the creature into the fire and[j] suffered no harm. 6 But they were expecting that he was going to swell up[k] or suddenly to fall down dead. So after[l] they had waited for a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and[m] began saying[n] that he was a god.
7 Now in the regions around that place were fields belonging to the chief official of the island, named[o] Publius, who welcomed us and[p] entertained us[q] hospitably for three days. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius was lying down, afflicted with fever and dysentery. Paul went[r] to him[s] and after[t] praying, he placed his[u] hands on him and[v] healed him. 9 And after[w] this had taken place, the rest of those on the island who had diseases were coming and being healed also. 10 They also honored us with many honors, and when we[x] were putting out to sea, they gave us[y] the things we needed.[z]
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