Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer of Thanksgiving[a]
138 I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
I sing praise to you before the gods.
2 I face your holy Temple,
bow down, and praise your name
because of your constant love and faithfulness,
because you have shown that your name and your commands are supreme.[b]
3 You answered me when I called to you;
with your strength you strengthened me.
4 All the kings in the world will praise you, Lord,
because they have heard your promises.
5 They will sing about what you have done
and about your great glory.
6 Even though you are so high above,
you care for the lowly,
and the proud cannot hide from you.
7 When I am surrounded by troubles,
you keep me safe.
You oppose my angry enemies
and save me by your power.
8 You will do everything you have promised;
Lord, your love is eternal.
Complete the work that you have begun.
Joshua Is Chosen as Successor to Moses(A)
12 (B)The Lord said to Moses, “Go up the Abarim Mountains and look out over the land that I am giving to the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you will die, as your brother Aaron did, 14 because both of you rebelled against my command in the wilderness of Zin. When the whole community complained against me at Meribah, you refused to acknowledge my holy power before them.” (Meribah is the spring at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
15 Moses prayed, 16 “Lord God, source of all life, appoint, I pray, a man who can lead the people 17 (C)and can command them in battle, so that your community will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 (D)The Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a capable man, and place your hands on his head. 19 Have him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and there before them all proclaim him as your successor. 20 Give him some of your own authority, so that the whole community of Israel will obey him. 21 (E)He will depend on Eleazar the priest, who will learn my will by using the Urim and Thummim.[a] In this way Eleazar will direct Joshua and the whole community of Israel in all their affairs.” 22 Moses did as the Lord had commanded him. He had Joshua stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community. 23 (F)As the Lord had commanded, Moses put his hands on Joshua's head and proclaimed him as his successor.
Saul in Jerusalem
26 Saul went to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples. But they would not believe that he was a disciple, and they were all afraid of him. 27 Then Barnabas came to his help and took him to the apostles. He explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had spoken to him. He also told them how boldly Saul had preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus. 28 And so Saul stayed with them and went all over Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He also talked and disputed with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers found out about this, they took Saul to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
31 And so it was that the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. Through the help of the Holy Spirit it was strengthened and grew in numbers, as it lived in reverence for the Lord.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.