Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹ ¶ Halelu-JAH. Sing unto the LORD a new song, let his praise be in the congregation of the merciful.

² Let Israel rejoice with his Maker; let the sons of Zion be joyful with their King.

³ Let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

⁴ For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he will beautify the humble with saving health.

⁵ The merciful shall be joyful with glory; they shall sing aloud upon their beds.

⁶ ¶ The high praises of God shall be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand,

⁷ to execute vengeance upon the Gentiles and punishments upon the peoples,

⁸ to imprison their kings with fetters and their nobles with chains of iron,

⁹ to execute upon them the judgment written: this shall be glory for all his merciful ones. Halelu-JAH.

9 ¶ Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go that they may serve me.

² For if thou refuse to let them go and wilt hold them still,

³ behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy livestock which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the cows, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous pestilence.

⁴ And the LORD shall separate between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt so that nothing shall die of all that is of the sons of Israel.

⁵ And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.

⁶ And the next day the LORD did that thing, and of all the livestock of Egypt many died, but of the livestock of the sons of Israel not one died.

⁷ Then Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the livestock of the sons of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh hardened, and he did not let the people go.

¹¹ ¶ I have been a fool, glorying; ye have compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you, for in nothing am I behind the grandiose apostles, though I am nothing.

¹² Truly the signs of the apostle were worked out among you in all patience, in signs and wonders and power.

¹³ For what is it in which ye were inferior to the other congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} except in that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.

¹⁴ Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you, for I seek not your things, but you; for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

¹⁵ And I will very gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

¹⁶ But be it so, I did not burden you; nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

¹⁷ Did I make a gain of you by any of those whom I sent unto you?

¹⁸ I besought Titus and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus defraud you? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and in the same steps?

¹⁹ Again, do ye think that we excuse ourselves unto you? We speak before God in Christ, but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.

²⁰ For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I desire and that I shall be found unto you such as ye desire not, lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, rumours, tumults,

²¹ lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I would have to mourn over many who have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.