Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹ ¶ The LORD reigns; the peoples shall tremble; he who sits above the cherubim reigns; the earth shall be moved.

² The LORD is great in Zion, and he is high above all the peoples.

³ Let them praise thy great and terrible name, for it is holy.

⁴ The king’s strength is that he loves judgment; thou dost establish equity; thou dost execute judgment and righteousness in Jacob.

⁵ Exalt ye the LORD our God and worship at the footstool of his feet, which is holy.

⁶ ¶ Moses and Aaron are among his priests and Samuel among those that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.

⁷ He spoke unto them in the pillar of fire; they kept his testimonies and the order that he gave them.

⁸ Thou didst answer them, O LORD our God; thou wast a God that didst forgive them, and an avenger for their works.

⁹ Exalt the LORD our God and worship at the mountain of his holiness, for the LORD our God is holy.

¹⁸ But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

¹⁹ Moreover his mother made him a little coat and brought it to him each year when she came up with her husband to offer the accustomed sacrifice.

²⁰ And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of the LORD. And they went unto their own home.

²¹ And the LORD visited Hannah so that she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

15 ¶ Then certain men who came down from Judaea taught the brethren and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

² When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

³ And they, being accompanied by some from the congregation, {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

⁴ And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received by the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} and by the apostles and elders, and they declared all the things that God had done with them.

⁵ But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

²² ¶ Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole congregation, {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, principal men among the brethren;

²³ and they wrote letters by them after this manner: The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia;

²⁴ forasmuch as we have heard that certain ones who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we gave no such commandment,

²⁵ it seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶ men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷ We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

²⁸ For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

²⁹ that ye abstain from foods offered to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

³⁰ So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle,

³¹ which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

³² And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words and confirmed them.

³³ And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.

³⁴ Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.

³⁵ Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching the word of the Lord and announcing the gospel, with many others also.