Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
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]
3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead[a] to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region[b] of Edom. 4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant[c] Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now.[d] 5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent[e] this message[f] to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”
6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has 400 men with him.” 7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. 8 “If Esau attacks one camp,”[g] he thought,[h] “then the other camp will be able to escape.”[i]
9 Then Jacob prayed,[j] “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said[k] to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’[l] 10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love[m] you have shown[n] your servant. With only my walking stick[o] I crossed the Jordan,[p] but now I have become two camps. 11 Rescue me,[q] I pray, from the hand[r] of my brother Esau,[s] for I am afraid he will come[t] and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children.[u] 12 But you[v] said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper[w] and will make[x] your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’”[y]
13 Jacob[z] stayed there that night. Then he sent[aa] as a gift[ab] to his brother Esau 14 200 female goats and 20 male goats, 200 ewes and 20 rams, 15 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, and 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys. 16 He entrusted them to[ac] his servants, who divided them into herds.[ad] He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.” 17 He instructed the servant leading the first herd,[ae] “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong?[af] Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’[ag] 18 then you must say,[ah] ‘They belong[ai] to your servant Jacob.[aj] They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau.[ak] In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’”[al]
19 He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.[am] 20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’”[an] Jacob thought,[ao] “I will first appease him[ap] by sending a gift ahead of me.[aq] After that I will meet him.[ar] Perhaps he will accept me.”[as] 21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him[at] while he spent that night in the camp.[au]
The Response to Peter’s Address
37 Now when they heard this,[a] they were acutely distressed[b] and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized[c] in the name of Jesus Christ[d] for[e] the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.[f] 39 For the promise[g] is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 40 With many other words he testified[h] and exhorted them saying, “Save yourselves from this perverse[i] generation!” 41 So those who accepted[j] his message[k] were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people[l] were added.[m]
The Fellowship of the Early Believers
42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,[n] to the breaking of bread and to prayer.[o] 43 Reverential awe[p] came over everyone,[q] and many wonders and miraculous signs[r] came about by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and held[s] everything in common, 45 and they began selling[t] their property[u] and possessions and distributing the proceeds[v] to everyone, as anyone had need. 46 Every day[w] they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts,[x] breaking bread from[y] house to house, sharing their food with glad[z] and humble hearts,[aa] 47 praising God and having the good will[ab] of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day[ac] those who were being saved.
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