Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

42 As the deer brays for the rivers of water, so panted my soul after You, O God.

² My soul thirsts for God, even for the living God. When shall I come and appear before the presence of God?

³ My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me daily, “Where is your God?”

⁴ When I remembered these things, I poured out my very heart; because I had gone with the multitude and led them into the House of God with the voice of singing and praise, as a multitude that keeps a feast.

⁵ Why are you cast down, my soul, and unquiet within me? Wait on God; for I will still give Him thanks for the help of His presence.

⁶ My God, my soul is cast down within me because I remembered You from the land of Jordan, and Hermon, and from the Mount Mizar.

⁷ One deep calls another deep by the noise of Your waterspouts. All Your waves and Your floods have gone over me.

⁸ The LORD will grant His lovingkindness in the day; and in the night shall I sing of Him a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I will say to God, my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning when the enemy oppresses?”

¹⁰ As a sword shattering my bones, my enemies reproach me, saying daily to me, “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why are you cast down, my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Wait on God. For I will yet give thanks to Him, to the Face of my Deliverer and my God.

¹³ Now, the next day, when Moses sat to judge the people, the people stood around Moses from morning to evening.

¹⁴ And when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this that you do for the people? Why do you sit by yourself, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”

¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God.

¹⁶ “When they have a matter, they come to me; and I judge between one and another and declare the ordinances of God and His laws.”

¹⁷ But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing which you do is not good.

¹⁸ “You greatly weary both yourself and these people who are with you. For the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself.

¹⁹ “Now, hear my voice. I will give you counsel; and God shall be with you. Represent the people before God, and report disputes to God,

²⁰ “and warn them of the ordinances, and of the laws. And show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

²¹ “Moreover, provide men of courage among all the people, men who fear God, dealing truly, hating covetousness. And appoint over them rulers over thousands, rulers over hundreds, rulers over fifties, and rulers over tens.

²² “And let them judge the people in all seasons. But, let them bring every great matter to you. And let them judge all small causes. So, it shall be easier for you when they shall bear the burden with you.

²³ “If you do this thing, and God so commands you, you shall be able to endure and all these people shall also go quietly to their place.”

²⁴ So, Moses obeyed the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

²⁵ And Moses chose men of courage out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers over thousands, rulers over hundreds, rulers over fifties, and rulers over tens.

²⁶ And they judged the people in all seasons; and they brought the hard causes to Moses. For they judged all small matters themselves.

²⁷ Afterward, Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went into his country.

¹⁵ Indeed, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but some also out of goodwill.

¹⁶ Indeed, the former preaches Christ out of rivalry (and not purely, supposing to add more affliction to my bonds),

¹⁷ but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Gospel.

¹⁸ What then? Christ is still preached in all manner of ways, whether under a pretense or sincerely. And I rejoice in that! Indeed, and I will rejoice!

¹⁹ For I know that this shall cause my deliverance (through your prayer and by the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ)

²⁰ as I fervently expect and hope that in nothing shall I be ashamed. But that with all confidence (as always) so now Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.

²¹ For, to me, Christ is life and death is gain.