Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
5 O Lord, the heavens will praise Your great works and how faithful You are in the meeting of the holy ones. 6 For who in the heavens is like the Lord? Who among the sons of the powerful is like the Lord? 7 God is honored with fear in the meeting of the holy ones. He is honored with fear more than all who are around Him. 8 Lord God of all, powerful Lord, who is like You? All around You we see how faithful You are. 9 You rule over the rising sea. When its waves rise, You quiet them. 10 You have crushed Rahab like one who is killed. You have destroyed those who hate You with Your powerful arm.
11 The heavens are Yours; and the earth is Yours. You have made the world and all that is in it. 12 You have made from nothing the north and the south. Tabor and Hermon call out for joy at Your name. 13 You have a strong arm. Your hand is powerful. Your right hand is honored. 14 Your throne stands on what is right and fair. Loving-kindness and truth go before You. 15 How happy are the people who know the sound of joy! They walk in the light of Your face, O Lord. 16 They are full of joy in Your name all day long. And by being right with You, they are honored. 17 For You are the shining-greatness of their strength. And our horn is lifted high by Your favor. 18 For our safe-covering belongs to the Lord. And our king belongs to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Once You spoke in a special dream to Your faithful ones, saying: “I have given help to a powerful one. I have honored a chosen one from among the people. 20 I have found David, Your servant. I have poured My holy oil upon him. 21 My hand will stay with him. And My arm will give him strength. 22 Those who hate him will not fool him. No sinful man will bring trouble to him. 23 But he will see Me crush those who fight against him. I will kill those who hate him. 24 I will be faithful and My loving-kindness will be with him. And in My name he will become great. 25 I will set his hand on the sea also, and his right hand on the rivers. 26 He will cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock that saves me.’ 27 I will make him My first-born also, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28 I will keep My loving-kindness for him forever. And My agreement with him will be made strong. 29 I will make his seed last forever. And his throne will last as long as heaven.
30 “If his sons leave My Law and do not do what I say, 31 and if they break My Laws and do not obey My Word, 32 then I will punish their sin with the stick, and their wrong-doing with the whip. 33 But I will not take my loving-kindness from him. I will always be faithful to him. 34 I will not break My agreement, or change what was spoken by My lips. 35 Once I have promised by My holy name, I will not lie to David. 36 His seed will last forever. And his throne will last before Me like the sun. 37 It will last forever like the moon, which may always be seen in the sky.”
Jacob Returns to Bethel
35 God said to Jacob, “Get ready and go to Bethel to live. Make an altar there to God, Who showed Himself to you when you ran away from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to those of his house and all who were with him, “Put away the strange gods that are among you. Make yourselves clean and change your clothes. 3 Then let us get ready and go to Bethel. I will make an altar there to God, Who answered me in the day of my trouble, and was with me every place I went.” 4 So they gave to Jacob all the strange gods they had, and the gold objects which they wore in their ears. And Jacob hid them under the tree near Shechem. 5 As they traveled, much fear from God came upon the cities around them. So the people of the land did not go against the sons of Jacob.
6 So Jacob and all the people who were with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 He built an altar there, and gave the place the name El-bethel. Because God had shown Himself to him there, when Jacob ran away from his brother. 8 Then Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died. She was buried below Bethel under a tree. It was given the name of Allon-bacuth.
9 When Jacob came from Paddan-aram, God showed Himself to him again and brought good to him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. You will not be called Jacob any longer, but Israel will be your name.” So his name was Israel. 11 Then God said to him, “I am the All-powerful God. Have many children and add to your number. A nation and a group of nations will come from you. Kings will come from you. 12 I will give you the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac. This land I will give to your children and their children’s children after you.” 13 Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. 14 Jacob set up a pillar of stone in the place where He had spoken with him. And he poured a drink offering and also oil on it. 15 So Jacob gave the place where God had spoken with him the name Bethel.
The Holy Spirit Comes to the Family of Cornelius
44 While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who were hearing his words. 45 The Jewish followers who had come along with Peter were surprised and wondered because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also given to the people who were not Jews. 46 They heard them speak in special sounds and give thanks to God. Then Peter said, 47 “Will anyone say that these people may not be baptized? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 He gave the word that they should be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for some days.
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