Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer for Help
86 Hear, O Lord, and answer me. For I am suffering and in need. 2 Keep my life, for I am faithful to You. You are my God. Save Your servant who trusts in You. 3 Show me loving-kindness, O Lord. For I cry to You all day long. 4 Bring joy to Your servant. For I lift up my soul to You, O Lord. 5 For You are good and ready to forgive, O Lord. You are rich in loving-kindness to all who call to You. 6 Hear my prayer, O Lord. Listen to my cry for help. 7 I will call to You in the day of my trouble. For You will answer me. 8 There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord. And there are no works like Yours. 9 All the nations You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord. And they will bring honor to Your name. 10 For You are great and do great things. You alone are God.
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.
The Missionaries Are Put in Prison
17 The head religious leader heard this. Some of the religious group who believe no one will be raised from the dead also heard of the people being healed. They became very jealous. 18 They took hold of the missionaries and put them in prison. 19 An angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison in the night and let them out. The angel said to them, 20 “Go, stand where you have been standing in the house of God. Keep on telling the people about this new life.”
21 When Peter and John heard this, they went in the house of God early in the morning and began to teach. When the head religious leader and those with him had come, they gathered the men of the court and the leaders of the Jews together. Then they sent to have the missionaries brought to them from the prison. 22 When the soldiers got there, they did not find them in prison. They went back and told the court. 23 The soldiers said, “We found the door of the prison locked and the soldiers watching the doors. When we opened the door, we found no one inside.”
24 When the religious leaders and the leader of the house of God heard this, they were much troubled as to what might happen. 25 Then someone came and told them, “The men you put in prison are now standing in the house of God and teaching the people.” 26 The leader of the house of God took his men and got them. They did not hurt the missionaries because they were afraid the people would throw stones at them.
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