Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses

To the Chief Musician. A ^[a]Contemplation of the sons of Korah.

¹³ And so it was, on the next day, that Moses ^(A)sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴ So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone ^[a]sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because ^(B)the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶ When they have ^(C)a ^[b]difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

¹⁷ So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. ¹⁸ Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; ^(D)you are not able to perform it by yourself. ¹⁹ Listen now to my voice; I will give you ^[c]counsel, and God will be with you: Stand ^(E)before God for the people, so that you may ^(F)bring the difficulties to God. ²⁰ And you shall ^(G)teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and ^(H)the work they must do. ²¹ Moreover you shall select from all the people ^(I)able men, such as ^(J)fear God, ^(K)men of truth, ^(L)hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²² And let them judge the people at all times. ^(M)Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for ^(N)they will bear the burden with you. ²³ If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their ^(O)place in peace.”

²⁴ So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ²⁵ And ^(P)Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²⁶ So they judged the people at all times; the ^(Q)hard^[d] cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

²⁷ Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and ^(R)he went his way to his own land.

¹⁵ Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: ^16 [a]The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; ¹⁷ but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

To Live Is Christ

¹⁹ For I know that ^(A)this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ²⁰ according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but ^(B)with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life ^(C)or by death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.