Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
148 Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise Him in the high places!
2 Praise Him, all His angels! Praise Him, all His army!
3 Praise Him, Sun and Moon! Praise Him, all bright stars!
4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the Name of the LORD; for He commanded, and they were created.
6 And He has established them forever and ever. He has made an ordinance which shall not pass.
7 Praise the LORD from the Earth, you dragons and all depths:
8 fire and hail, snow and vapors, stormy wind — which execute His Word —
9 mountains and all hills, fruitful trees, and all cedars,10 beasts and all cattle, creeping things and feathered birds,
11 kings of the Earth and all people, princes and all judges of the world,
12 young men and maidens, also old men and children.
13 Let them praise the Name of the LORD; for only His Name is to be exalted. His praise is above the Earth and the heavens.
14 For He has exalted the horn of His people — a praise for all His saints, for the children of Israel — a people that is near to Him. Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD.
17 And after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and did reverence to the king. And the king listened to them.
18 And they left the House of the LORD God of their fathers and served groves and idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem, because of this their trespass.
19 And God sent Prophets among them, to bring them back to the LORD. And they testified against them. But they would not hear.
20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the Priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the Commandments of the LORD? Surely you shall not prosper! Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you!”
21 Then they conspired against him and stoned him with stones, at the commandment of the king, in the court of the House of the LORD.
22 Thus, Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada, his father, had done to him, but killed his son. And when he died, he said, “The LORD look upon it and require it!”
23 And when the year was out, the army of Aram came up against him. And they came against Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people and sent all the spoil of them to the king of Damascus.
24 Though the army of Aram came with a small company of men, the LORD still delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. And they gave sentence against Joash.
6 And in those days, as the number of the disciples grew, there arose murmuring of the Hellenists toward the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily ministry.
2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples together, and said, “It is not acceptable that we should leave the Word of God to serve the tables.
3 “Therefore brothers, select from among you seven men of good report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint to this business.
4 “And we will give ourselves constantly to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen (a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost), and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas (a proselyte from Antioch),
6 whom they set before the Apostles. And they prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 And the Word of God increased. And the number of the disciples was multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. And a great number of the priests were obedient to the faith.
51 “You stiff-necked! With uncircumcised hearts and ears! You have always resisted the Holy Ghost. As your fathers did, so do you!
52 “Which of the Prophets have your fathers not persecuted? And they have killed those who foretold of the coming of the Just One, Of Whom you are now the betrayers and murderers.
53 “Who have received the law by the ordinance of angels and have not kept it.”
54 And when they heard these things, they were cut to the quick. And they gnashed at him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked steadfastly into Heaven, and saw the Glory of God; and Jesus, standing at the right hand of God,
56 and said, “Behold, I see the heavens open! And the Son of Man, standing at the right hand of God!”
57 Then they gave a shout with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him violently all at once,
58 and cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, who called out, saying, “Lord Jesus! Receive my spirit!”
60 And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord! Do not lay this sin to their charge!” And when he had spoken this, he slept.
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