Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Song of Thanks for Being Kept Safe
18 I love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, and my safe place, and the One Who takes me out of trouble. My God is my rock, in Whom I am safe. He is my safe-covering, my saving strength, and my strong tower. 3 I call to the Lord, Who has the right to be praised. And I am saved from those who hate me.
4 The ropes of death were all around me. The floods of death make me afraid. 5 The ropes of the grave were all around me. The traps of death were set for me. 6 I called to the Lord in my trouble. I cried to God for help. He heard my voice from His holy house. My cry for help came into His ears.
43 You have taken me away from the fighting of the people. You have made me the leader of nations. People whom I have not known will serve me. 44 As soon as they hear, they obey me. Those from other lands obey me. 45 These people from other lands lose their strength of heart. And they come shaking from behind their walls. 46 The Lord lives! How great is my Rock! Praise be to the God Who saves me! 47 He is the God Who punishes those who have done wrong to me. He puts nations under my rule. 48 He saves me from those who hate me. Yes, You lift me above those who rise up against me. You save me from those who want to hurt me. 49 So I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord. And I will sing praises to Your name. 50 He gives His king great power over trouble. And He shows loving-kindness to His chosen one, to David, and to his children after him forever.
David Stays in the Hill Country
14 David stayed in the safe places in the desert. He stayed in the hill country in the desert of Ziph. Saul looked for him every day, but God did not give David to him. 15 David saw that Saul had come out to try to kill him. David was in the desert of Ziph at Horesh. 16 Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and gave him strength in God. 17 He said to him, “Do not be afraid, because my father Saul will not find you. You will be king of Israel, and I will be next to you. My father Saul knows this also.” 18 So the two of them made an agreement before the Lord. And David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
Titus Will Be Coming
16 I thank God that He gave Titus the same desire to help you. 17 He was glad when we asked him to help you. He decided himself to go to you. 18 We are sending the Christian brother along. He is respected in the churches for his preaching. 19 Not only that, but he has been asked by the churches to travel with me to Jerusalem. He will help in giving them the gift. The Lord will be honored by it because it shows how we want to help each other.
20 We want everyone to trust us with the way we take this large gift of money to them. 21 We want to do the right thing. We want God and men to know we are honest. 22 We are sending another Christian brother with them. We have tested him many times. His faith has proven to be true. He wants very much to help because he trusts you. 23 Titus works with me to help you. The other two Christian brothers have been sent by the churches. Their lives honor Christ. 24 Show these men you love them and let the churches see your love. Show them the reason I am proud of you.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.