Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A New Song of Praise

Dead Animals

9 The Lord sent Moses with this message for the king^[a] of Egypt:

The Lord God of the Hebrews commands you to let his people go, so they can worship him. ² If you keep refusing, ³ he will bring a terrible disease on your horses and donkeys, your camels and cattle, and your sheep and goats. ⁴ But the Lord will protect the animals that belong to the people of Israel, and none of theirs will die. ⁵ Tomorrow is the day the Lord has set to do this.

⁶ It happened the next day—all of the animals belonging to the Egyptians died, but the Israelites did not lose even one. ⁷ When the king found out, he was still too stubborn to let the people go.

Paul's Concern for the Lord's Followers at Corinth

¹¹ I have been making a fool of myself. But you forced me to do it, when you should have been speaking up for me. I may be nothing at all, but I am as good as those super apostles. ¹² When I was with you, I was patient and worked all the powerful miracles and signs and wonders of a true apostle. ¹³ You missed out on only one blessing the other churches received. That is, you didn't have to support me. Forgive me for doing you wrong.

¹⁴ I am planning to visit you for the third time. But I still won't make a burden of myself. What I really want is you, and not what you have. Children are not supposed to save up for their parents, but parents are supposed to take care of their children. ¹⁵ So I will gladly give all I have and all I am. Will you love me less for loving you too much? ¹⁶ You agree that I wasn't a burden to you. Maybe that's because I was trying to catch you off guard and trick you. ¹⁷ Were you cheated by any of those I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent another follower with him. But Titus didn't cheat you, and we felt and behaved the same way he did.

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? Actually, we have been speaking to God as followers of Christ. But, my friends, we did it all for your good.

²⁰ I am afraid when I come, we won't be pleased with each other. I fear that some of you may be arguing or jealous or angry or selfish or gossiping or insulting each other. I even fear that you may be proud and acting like a mob. ²¹ I am afraid God will make me ashamed when I visit you again. I will feel like crying because many of you have never given up your old sins. You are still doing things that are immoral, indecent, and shameful.