Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ Plead my cause, O LORD, with those that strive with me; fight against those that fight against me.

² Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up in my help.

³ Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against those that persecute me; say unto my soul; I am thy saving health.

⁴ Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul; let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

⁵ Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

⁶ Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.

⁷ For without cause they have hid their net for me in a pit, which without cause they have dug for my soul.

⁸ Let destruction come upon him at unawares, and let his net that he has hid catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.

⁹ And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice in his saving health.

¹⁰ All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, who delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoils him?

22 ¶ And the sons of Israel set forward and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan in front of Jericho.

² And Balak, the son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorite.

³ And Moab was sore afraid of the people because they were many; and Moab was distressed because of the sons of Israel.

⁴ And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks up the herbs of the field. And Balak, the son of Zippor, was king of the Moabites at that time.

⁵ Therefore he sent messengers unto Balaam, the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the river Eufrates in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.

⁶ Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people, for they are too mighty for me; peradventure I shall be able to smite them and drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest shall be blessed, and he whom thou cursest shall be cursed.

⁷ And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the incantations in their hand; and they came unto Balaam and spoke unto him the words of Balak.

⁸ And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will recite the words unto you when the LORD shall speak unto me. So the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.

⁹ And God came unto Balaam and said, Who are these men with thee?

¹⁰ And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent unto me, saying,

¹¹ Behold, this people that has come out of Egypt, covers the face of the earth; come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them and drive them out.

¹² Then God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; neither shalt thou curse the people; for they are blessed.

¹³ So Balaam rose up in the morning and said unto the princes of Balak, Go back to your land; for the LORD refuses to give me leave to go with you.

¹⁴ And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak and said, Balaam refused to come with us.

¹⁵ ¶ And Balak sent yet again princes, more and more honourable than those.

¹⁶ And they came to Balaam and said to him, Thus saith Balak, the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me;

¹⁷ for I will without a doubt honour thee greatly, and I will do whatever thou sayest unto me; come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

¹⁸ And Balaam answered and said unto the slaves of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do anything small or great.

¹⁹ Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night that I may know what the LORD will say unto me again.

²⁰ And God came unto Balaam at night and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

²¹ So Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his female ass and went with the princes of Moab.

¹⁷ And when we arrived at Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

¹⁸ And the day following, Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were gathered.

¹⁹ And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

²⁰ And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous of the law;

²¹ and they are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

²² What is it therefore? The multitude must needs come together, for they will hear that thou art come.

²³ Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men among us who have a vow on them;

²⁴ them take, and purify thyself with them, and pay their expenses, that they may shave their heads, and all may know that those things, of which they were informed concerning thee, are nothing, but that thou thyself dost also walk orderly and keep the law.

²⁵ As touching the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, except only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols and from blood and from that which has been strangled and from fornication.

²⁶ Then Paul took the men and the next day, purifying himself with them, entered into the temple to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification until an offering should be offered for each one of them.