Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Praise God Who Helps the Weak
146 Praise the Lord!
My whole being, praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life.
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes
or other people, who cannot save you.
4 When people die, they are buried.
Then all of their plans come to an end.
5 Happy are those who are helped by the God of Jacob.
Their hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in it.
He remains loyal forever.
7 The Lord does what is fair for those who have been wronged.
He gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.
8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up people who are in trouble.
The Lord loves those who do right.
9 The Lord protects the foreigners.
He defends the orphans and widows.
But he overthrows the wicked.
10 The Lord will be King forever.
Jerusalem, your God is everlasting.
Praise the Lord!
Israel’s Sin Brings Trouble
9 Fairness has gone far away.
Goodness is nowhere to be found.
We wait for the light, but there is only darkness now.
We hope for a bright light, but all we have is darkness.
10 We are like blind people feeling our way along a wall.
We have to feel our way as if we had no eyes.
In the brightness of day we trip as if it were night.
We are like dead men among the strong.
11 All of us growl like the bears.
We call out sadly like the doves.
We look for justice, but there isn’t any.
We want to be saved, but salvation is far away.
12 We have done many wrong things against our God.
Our sins show we are wrong.
We know we have turned against God.
We know the evil things we have done.
13 We have sinned and turned against the Lord.
We have turned away from our God.
We have planned to hurt others and to disobey God.
We have planned and spoken lies.
14 We have driven away justice.
We have kept away from what is right.
Truth is not spoken in the streets.
What is honest is not allowed to enter the city.
15 Truth cannot be found anywhere.
And people who refuse to do evil are attacked.
The Lord looked and could not find any justice.
And he was displeased.
16 He could not find anyone to help the people.
He was surprised that there was no one to help.
So the Lord used his own power to save the people.
His own goodness gave him strength.
17 The Lord covered himself with goodness like armor.
He put on the helmet of salvation.
He put on the clothes of punishment.
And he put on the coat of his strong love.
18 The Lord will pay back his enemies for what they have done.
He will show his anger to those who were against him.
He will punish the people in faraway places.
He will give them the punishment they should have.
19 Then people from the west will fear the Lord.
People in the east will fear his glory.
The Lord will come quickly like a fast-flowing river,
driven by the breath of the Lord.
Saul Is Converted
9 In Jerusalem Saul was still trying to frighten the followers of the Lord by saying he would kill them. So he went to the high priest 2 and asked him to write letters to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Saul wanted the high priest to give him the authority to find people in Damascus who were followers of Christ’s Way. If he found any there, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.
3 So Saul went to Damascus. As he came near the city, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 Saul fell to the ground. He heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you doing things against me?”
5 Saul said, “Who are you, Lord?”
The voice answered, “I am Jesus. I am the One you are trying to hurt. 6 Get up now and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there, but they said nothing. They heard the voice, but they saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground. He opened his eyes, but he could not see. So the men with Saul took his hand and led him into Damascus. 9 For three days Saul could not see, and he did not eat or drink.
10 There was a follower of Jesus in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision, “Ananias!”
Ananias answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight Street. Find the house of Judas.[a] Ask for a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. He is there now, praying. 12 Saul has seen a vision. In it a man named Ananias comes to him and lays his hands on him. Then he sees again.”
13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and the terrible things he did to your people in Jerusalem. 14 Now he has come here to Damascus. The leading priests have given him the power to arrest everyone who worships you.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen Saul for an important work. He must tell about me to non-Jews, to kings, and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 So Ananias went to the house of Judas. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is the one you saw on the road on your way here. He sent me so that you can see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something that looked like fish scales fell from Saul’s eyes. He was able to see again! Then Saul got up and was baptized. 19 After eating some food, his strength returned.
Saul Preaches in Damascus
Saul stayed with the followers of Jesus in Damascus for a few days. 20 Soon he began to preach about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “Jesus is the Son of God!”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.