Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Song About Rejoicing in God
149 Hallelujah!
Sing a new song to the Lord,
praising him where the godly gather together.
2 May Israel rejoice in its Maker,
and Zion’s descendants in their King!
3 May they praise his name with dancing,
chanting songs to him with tambourines and lyres.
4 For the Lord is pleased with his people;
he beautifies the afflicted with salvation.
5 May those he loves be exalted,
singing for joy on their couches.
6 Let high praises to God be heard[a] in their throats,
while they wield two-edged swords in their hands
7 as they bring retribution to nations
and punishment to peoples,
8 binding their kings with chains,
their officials with iron bands,
9 and executing the judgment written against them.
This is honor for all the ones he loves.
Hallelujah!
The Plague on the Egyptian Cattle
9 Then the Lord told Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: “Let my people go so they may serve[a] me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, 3 then the hand of the Lord will come[b] with a very severe plague on your livestock in the fields, on horses, on donkeys, on camels, on cattle, and on sheep. 4 The Lord will distinguish between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of the Egyptians, so that nothing that belongs to the Israelis will die.”’”
5 The Lord set the time: “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” 6 The Lord did this thing the next day, and all the livestock of the Egyptians died. But not one of the livestock died that belonged to the Israelis. 7 Then Pharaoh inquired and discovered[c] that not a single one of the livestock of Israel had died, but Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn[d] and he would not let the people go.
Concern for the Corinthians
11 I have become a fool. You forced me to be one. Really, I should have been commended by you, for I am not in any way inferior to your “super-apostles,” even if I am nothing. 12 The signs of an apostle were performed among you with utmost patience—signs, wonders, and powerful actions. 13 How were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I did not bother you for help? Forgive me for this wrong! 14 Now I’m ready to visit you for a third time, and I will not bother you for help. I do not want your things, but rather you yourselves. Children should not have to support[a] their parents, but parents their children. 15 I will be very glad to spend my money and myself for you. Do you love me less because I love you so much?
16 Granting that I have not been a burden to you, was I a clever schemer who trapped you by some trick? 17 I did not take advantage of you through any of the men I sent you, did I? 18 I encouraged Titus to visit you, and I sent along with him the brother you know so well. Titus didn’t take advantage of you, did he? We conducted ourselves with the same spirit, didn’t we? We took the very same steps, didn’t we?
19 Have you been thinking all along that we are trying to defend ourselves before you? We are speaking before God in the authority of[b] the Messiah,[c] and everything, dear friends, is meant to build you up. 20 I am afraid that I may come and somehow find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me. Perhaps there will be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly conduct. 21 I am afraid that when I come my God may again humble me before you and that I may have to grieve over many who formerly lived in sin and have not repented of their impurity, sexual immorality, and promiscuity that they once practiced.
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