Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
115 1 A prayer of the faithful oppressed by idolatrous tyrants, against whom they desire that God would succor them, 9 trusting most constantly that God will preserve them in this their need, seeing, that he hath adopted and received them into his favor. 13 Promising finally that they will not be unmindful of so great a benefit if it would please God to hear their prayer, and deliver them by his omnipotent power.
1 Not [a]unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give the glory for thy loving mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
2 Wherefore shall the heathen say, [b]Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in heaven: he doeth whatsoever he [c]will.
4 Their idols are [d]silver and gold, even the work of men’s hands.
5 They have a mouth, and speak not: they have eyes, and see not.
6 They have ears, and hear not: they have noses and smell not.
7 They have [e]hands, and touch not: they have feet, and walk not: neither make they a sound with their throat.
8 They that make them are [f]like unto them: so are all that trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: for he is their help, and their shield.
10 [g]O house of Aaron trust ye in the Lord, for he is their help, and their shield.
11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: for he is their helper, and their shield.
12 The Lord hath been mindful of us, he will bless, he [h]will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
14 The Lord will increase his graces toward you, even toward you, and toward your children.
15 Ye are blessed of the Lord, which [i]made the heaven and the earth.
16 The [j]heavens, even the heavens are the Lord’s: but he hath given the earth to the sons of men.
17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that [k]go down into the place of silence.
18 But we will praise the Lord from henceforth and forever. Praise ye the Lord.
5 ¶ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and purify them.
7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, when thou purifiest them, Sprinkle [a]water of purification upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and wash their clothes: so they shall be clean.
8 Then they shall take a young bullock with his meat offering of fine flour, mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
9 Then thou shalt bring the Levites before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and assemble [b]all the Congregation of the children of Israel.
10 Thou shalt bring the Levites also before the Lord, and the [c]children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites.
11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord, as a shake offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the Lord.
12 And the Levites shall put their hands upon the heads of the bullocks, and make thou the one a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering unto the Lord, that thou mayest make an atonement for the Levites.
13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them as a shake offering to the Lord.
14 Thus thou shalt separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be (A)mine.
15 And afterward shall the Levites go in, to serve in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and thou shalt purify them, and offer them as a shake offering.
16 For they are freely given (B)unto me from among the children of Israel, for [d]such as open any womb: for all the firstborn of the children of Israel have I taken them unto me.
17 (C)For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both of man and beast: since the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself.
18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel,
19 And have given the Levites as a gift unto Aaron, and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the [e]children of Israel in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come near unto the [f]Sanctuary.
20 ¶ Then Moses and Aaron and all the Congregation of the children of Israel did with the Levites, according unto all that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites: so did the children of Israel unto them.
21 So the Levites were purified, and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a shake offering before the Lord, and Aaron made an atonement for them, to purify them.
22 And after that, went the Levites in to do their service in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, [g]before Aaron and before his sons: as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did unto them.
The Epistle of Paul to Titus
1 6 He showeth what kind of men ought to be chosen Ministers: 10 how vain babblers’ mouths should be stopped: 12 and through this occasion he toucheth the nature of the Cretans, 14 and the Jews, who put boldness in outward things.
1 Paul [a]a [b]servant of God, and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s [c]elect, [d]and the acknowledging of the truth, which is according unto godliness.
2 Unto the [e]hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, hath [f]promised before the (A)[g]world began:
3 [h]But hath made his word manifest in due time through the preaching, which is (B)committed unto me according to the commandment of God our [i]Savior:
4 [j]To Titus my natural son according to the common faith, [k]Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
5 [l]For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest continue to redress the things that remain, and shouldest ordain Elders in every city as I ap-pointed thee.
6 (C)If any be unreproveable, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, which are not slandered of riot, neither are [m]disobedient.
7 [n]For a Bishop must be unreproveable, as God’s [o]steward, not [p]froward, not angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre,
8 But harberous, one that loveth goodness, [q]wise, righteous, holy, temperate,
9 [r]Holding fast that faithful word according to doctrine, [s]that he also may be able to exhort with wholesome doctrine, and convince them that say against it.
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