Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Praise God Who Helps the Weak

Appointing the Priests

29 “This is what you must do to appoint Aaron and his sons. Then they may serve me as priests. Take one young bull and two male sheep that have nothing wrong with them. ² Use fine wheat flour without yeast to make bread and cakes mixed with olive oil. Also use wheat flour without yeast to make wafers brushed with olive oil. ³ Put these in one basket. Bring them in the basket along with the bull and two male sheep. ⁴ Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Meeting Tent. Then wash them with water. ⁵ Take the clothes. Dress Aaron in the inner robe and the outer robe of the holy vest. Then put on him the holy vest and the chest covering. Then tie the holy vest on him with its skillfully woven belt. ⁶ Put the turban on his head. Put the holy crown, the strip of gold, on the turban. ⁷ Take the special olive oil and pour it on his head to make him a priest.

⁸ “Then bring his sons and put the inner robes on them. ⁹ Put the headbands on their heads. Then tie cloth belts around their waists. Aaron and his descendants will be priests in Israel. This is by a rule that will continue from now on. This is how you will appoint Aaron and his sons as priests.

⁶ “But something happened to me on my way to Damascus. It was about noon when I came near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed all around me. ⁷ I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you doing things against me?’ ⁸ I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The voice said, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth. I am the One you are trying to hurt.’ ⁹ The men who were with me did not understand the voice. But they saw the light. ¹⁰ I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord answered, ‘Get up and go to Damascus. There you will be told about all the things I have planned for you to do.’ ¹¹ I could not see, because the bright light had made me blind. So the men led me into Damascus.

¹² “There a man named Ananias came to me. He was a religious man; he obeyed the law of Moses. All the Jews who lived there respected him. ¹³ Ananias came to me, stood by me, and said, ‘Brother Saul, see again!’ Immediately I was able to see him. ¹⁴ Ananias told me, ‘The God of our fathers chose you long ago. He chose you to know his plan. He chose you to see the Righteous One and to hear words from him. ¹⁵ You will be his witness to all people. You will tell them about the things you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ Now, why wait any longer? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away. Do this, trusting in him to save you.’

¹⁷ “Later, I returned to Jerusalem. I was praying in the Temple, and I saw a vision. ¹⁸ I saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem now! The people here will not accept the truth about me.’ ¹⁹ But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I put the believers in jail and beat them. ²⁰ They also know that I was there when Stephen, your witness, was killed. I stood there and agreed that they should kill him. I even held the coats of the men who were killing him!’ ²¹ But the Lord said to me, ‘Leave now. I will send you far away to the non-Jewish people.’”