Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 149
Praise for God’s Triumph
1 Hallelujah!
Sing to the Lord a new song,(A)
His praise in the assembly of the godly.(B)
2 Let Israel celebrate its Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.(C)
3 Let them praise His name with dancing
and make music to Him with tambourine and lyre.(D)
4 For Yahweh takes pleasure in His people;(E)
He adorns the humble with salvation.(F)
5 Let the godly celebrate in triumphal glory;
let them shout for joy on their beds.(G)
6 Let the exaltation of God be in their mouths[a]
and a double-edged sword in their hands,(H)
7 inflicting vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,(I)
8 binding their kings with chains
and their dignitaries with iron shackles,(J)
9 carrying out the judgment decreed against them.
This honor is for all His godly people.(K)
Hallelujah!
The Fifth Plague: Death of Livestock
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him: This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go and keep holding them, 3 then the Lord’s hand will bring a severe plague against your livestock in the field—the horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that the Israelites own will die.” 5 And the Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.”(A) 6 The Lord did this the next day. All the Egyptian livestock died,(B) but none among the Israelite livestock died. 7 Pharaoh sent messengers who saw that not a single one of the Israelite livestock was dead. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened,(C) and he did not let the people go.
Signs of an Apostle
11 I have become a fool; you forced it on me. I should have been endorsed by you, since I am not in any way inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.(A) 12 The signs(B) of an apostle(C) were performed with great endurance among you—not only signs but also wonders(D) and miracles.(E) 13 So in what way were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I personally did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!
Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians
14 Now I am ready to come to you this third time.(F) I will not burden you, for I am not seeking what is yours, but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for you.[a](G) If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 Now granted, I have not burdened(H) you; yet sly as I am, I took you in by deceit!(I) 17 Did I take advantage of you by anyone I sent you? 18 I urged Titus(J) to come, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit(K) and in the same footsteps?
19 You have thought all along that we were defending ourselves to you.[b] No, in the sight of God we are speaking in Christ, and everything, dear friends, is for building you up.(L) 20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and I may not be found by you to be what you want;[c] there may be quarreling,(M) jealousy,(N) outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions,(O) slander,(P) gossip, arrogance, and disorder.(Q) 21 I fear that when I come my God will again[d] humiliate me in your presence, and I will grieve for many who sinned before and have not repented(R) of the moral impurity, sexual immorality,(S) and promiscuity(T) they practiced.
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