Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
42 As the hart panteth for the water brooks, so panteth my soul for Thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, “Where is thy God?”
4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me, for I had gone with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites, from the hill of Mizar.
7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts; all Thy waves and Thy billows have gone over me.
8 Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me and my prayer unto the God of my life.
9 I will say unto God my rock, “Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me, while they say daily unto me, “Where is thy God?”
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.
13 And it came to pass on the morrow that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14 And when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that thou doest for the people? Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto evening?”
15 And Moses said unto his father-in-law, “Because the people come unto me to inquire of God.
16 When they have a matter, they come unto me, and I judge between one and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and His laws.”
17 And Moses’ father-in-law said unto him, “The thing that thou doest is not good.
18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people who are with thee. For this thing is too heavy for thee. Thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19 Hearken now unto my voice! I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to Godward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God.
20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk and the work that they must do.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God — men of truth, hating covetousness — and place such over them to be rulers of thousands and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties and rulers of tens.
22 And let them judge the people at all seasons; and it shall be that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge. So shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
23 If thou shalt do this thing and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.”
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
26 And they judged the people at all seasons. The hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 And Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
15 Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will.
16 The one preaches Christ out of contention and not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds;
17 but the other out of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel.
18 What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
19 For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation through your prayer and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing shall I be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.