Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 29
A psalm by David.
1 Give to Yahweh, you heavenly beings.
Give to Yahweh glory and power.
2 Give to Yahweh the glory his name deserves.
Worship Yahweh in his holy splendor.
3 The voice of Yahweh rolls over the water.
The El of glory thunders.
Yahweh shouts over raging water.
4 The voice of Yahweh is powerful.
The voice of Yahweh is majestic.
5 The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars.
Yahweh splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip along like a calf
and Mount Sirion like a wild ox.
7 The voice of Yahweh strikes with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of Yahweh makes the wilderness tremble.
Yahweh makes the wilderness of Kadesh tremble.
9 The voice of Yahweh splits the oaks[a]
and strips the trees of the forests bare.
Everyone in his temple is saying, “Glory!”
10 Yahweh sat enthroned over the flood.
Yahweh sits enthroned as Melek forever.
11 Yahweh will give power to his people.
Yahweh will bless his people with peace.
3 Samuel told the entire nation of Israel, “If you are returning to Yahweh wholeheartedly, get rid of the foreign gods you have, including the statues of the goddess Astarte. Make a commitment to Yahweh, and serve only him. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”
4 So the Israelites got rid of the statues of Baal and Astarte and served only Yahweh.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all the Israelites together at Mizpah, and I will pray to Yahweh for you.” 6 So the Israelites gathered together at Mizpah. They drew some water, poured it out in front of Yahweh, and fasted that day. They confessed, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” So Samuel judged Israel in Mizpah.
The Philistines Defeated
7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the Philistine rulers came to attack Israel. The Israelites heard about the Philistine plan and were afraid of them. 8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t turn a deaf ear to us! Don’t stop crying to Yahweh our Elohim for us! Ask him to save us from the Philistines!”
9 Then Samuel took a lamb, one still feeding on milk, and sacrificed it as a burnt offering to Yahweh. Samuel cried to Yahweh on behalf of Israel, and Yahweh answered him. 10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines came to fight against Israel. On that day Yahweh thundered loudly at the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel. 11 Israel’s soldiers left Mizpah, pursued the Philistines, and killed them as far as Beth Car.
12 Then Samuel took a rock and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer [Rock of Help] and said, “Until now Yahweh has helped us.”
13 The power of the Philistines was crushed, so they didn’t come into Israel’s territory again. Yahweh restrained the Philistines as long as Samuel lived. 14 The cities between Ekron and Gath which the Philistines took from Israel were returned to Israel. And Israel recovered the territory controlled by these cities from the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel judged Israel as long as he lived. 16 Every year he went around to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah in order to judge Israel in all those places. 17 Then he would return home to Ramah. There, too, he judged Israel. And in Ramah he built an altar to Yahweh.
19 After he had something to eat, his strength came back to him.
Saul was with the disciples in the city of Damascus for several days. 20 He immediately began to spread the word in their synagogues that Yeshua was the Son of God. 21 Everyone who heard him was amazed. They asked, “Isn’t this the man who destroyed those who worshiped the one named Yeshua in Jerusalem? Didn’t he come here to take these worshipers as prisoners to the chief priests in Jerusalem?”
22 Saul grew more powerful, and he confused the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Yeshua was the Messiah. 23 Later the Jews planned to murder Saul, 24 but Saul was told about their plot. They were watching the city gates day and night in order to murder him. 25 However, Saul’s disciples lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the wall one night.
26 After Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples. But everyone was afraid of him. They wouldn’t believe that he was a disciple.
27 Then Barnabas took an interest in Saul and brought him to the apostles. Barnabas told the apostles how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had spoken to him. Barnabas also told them how boldly Saul had spoken about the one named Yeshua in the city of Damascus. 28 Then Saul went throughout Jerusalem with the disciples. He spoke boldly with the power and authority of the Lord.
29 He talked and argued with Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him. 30 As soon as the disciples found out about this, they took Saul to Caesarea and sent him to Tarsus.
31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace. The number of people increased as people lived in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.