Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A song for going up to worship.
128 Blessed are all who fear the Lord
and live his way.
2 You will certainly eat what your own hands have provided.
Blessings to you!
May things go well for you!
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine inside your home.
Your children will be like young olive trees around your table.
4 This is how the Lord will bless the person who fears him.
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion
so that you may see Jerusalem prospering
all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children.
Let there be peace in Israel!
Jericho Is Destroyed
6 Jericho was bolted and barred shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one could enter or leave.
2 The Lord said to Joshua, “I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you. 3 All the soldiers will march around the city once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will carry rams’ horns ahead of the ark. But on the seventh day you must march around the city seven times while the priests blow their horns. 5 When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city.”
6 Joshua, son of Nun, summoned the priests. He said to them, “Pick up the ark of the promise, and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns ahead of the Lord’s ark.”
7 He told the troops, “March around the city. Let the armed men march ahead of the Lord’s ark.”
8 After Joshua had given orders to the troops, the seven priests carrying the seven rams’ horns ahead of the Lord marched off as they blew their horns. The ark of the Lord’s promise followed them. 9 The armed men went ahead of the priests, who blew their horns. The rear guard followed the ark while the priests continued to blow their horns.
10 Joshua ordered the troops, “Don’t shout, make any noise, or let one word come out of your mouth until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So the Lord’s ark went around the city once. Then they went back to the camp and stayed there for the night.
12 Joshua got up early in the morning. The priests carried the Lord’s ark. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven rams’ horns were ahead of it. The priests blew their horns as they went. The armed men were ahead of them, and the rear guard followed the Lord’s ark while the horns blew continually. 14 They went around the city once on the second day and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 On the seventh day they got up at dawn. They marched around the city seven times the same way they had done it before. That was the only day they marched around it seven times. 16 When they went around the seventh time, the priests blew their rams’ horns.
Joshua said to the troops, “Shout, because the Lord has given you the city!
20 So the troops shouted very loudly when they heard the blast of the rams’ horns, and the wall collapsed. The troops charged straight ahead and captured the city.
13 Barnabas, Simeon (called the Black), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (a close friend of Herod since childhood), and Saul were prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch.
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me. I want them to do the work for which I called them.” 3 After fasting and praying, Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul, and released them ⌞from their work in Antioch⌟.
4 After Barnabas and Saul were sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to the city of Seleucia and from there sailed to the island of Cyprus. 5 Arriving in the city of Salamis, they began to spread God’s word in the synagogues. John Mark had gone along to help them. 6 They went through the whole island as far as the city of Paphos.
In Paphos they met a Jewish man named Barjesus. He was an astrologer who claimed to be a prophet. 7 He was associated with an intelligent man, Sergius Paulus, who was the governor of the island. The governor sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear God’s word. 8 Elymas, whose name means astrologer, opposed them and tried to distort the meaning of the faith so that the governor wouldn’t believe.
9 But Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He stared at Elymas 10 and said, “You are full of dirty tricks and schemes, you son of the devil! You hate everything that has God’s approval. Quit trying to distort the truth about the way the Lord wants people to live. 11 The Lord is against you now. For a while you will be blind, unable to see the light of day.”
Suddenly, Elymas couldn’t see a thing. He tried to find people to lead him. 12 When the governor saw what had happened, he believed. The Lord’s teachings amazed him.
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