Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters.

³ He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me.

⁵ Thou shalt prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup is running over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will rest in the house of the LORD for ever.

¹⁵ Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.

¹⁶ ¶ Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came and drew water to fill the troughs to water their father’s sheep.

¹⁷ But the pastors came and drove them away. Then Moses stood up and defended them and watered their sheep.

¹⁸ And when they returned unto Reuel, their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon today?

¹⁹ And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the pastors and also drew water enough for us and watered the sheep.

²⁰ And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? Why is it that ye have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.

²¹ And Moses was content to dwell with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter.

²² And she gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershon, for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

²³ ¶ And it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died, and the sons of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God from their bondage.

²⁴ And God heard their groaning and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

²⁵ And God looked upon the sons of Israel, and God recognized them.

⁹ But ye are the chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, an acquired people, that ye should show forth the virtues of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

¹⁰ Ye who in the time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, who in the time past had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

¹¹ Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from the carnal desires which war against the soul

¹² and have your honest conversation among the Gentiles, so that, in that which they murmur about you as of evildoers, having witnessed your good works, they may glorify God in the day of visitation.