Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
11 Evil people testify against me
and accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
12 They pay me back evil for good,
and I sink in despair.
13 But when they were sick, I dressed in mourning;
I deprived myself of food;
I prayed with my head bowed low,
14 as I would pray for a friend or a brother.
I went around bent over in mourning,
as one who mourns for his mother.
15 But when I was in trouble, they were all glad
and gathered around to make fun of me;
strangers beat me
and kept striking me.
16 Like those who would mock a cripple,[a]
they glared at me with hate.
17 How much longer, Lord, will you just look on?
Rescue me from their attacks;
save my life from these lions!
18 Then I will thank you in the assembly of your people;
I will praise you before them all.
19 (A)Don't let my enemies, those liars,
gloat over my defeat.
Don't let those who hate me for no reason
smirk with delight over my sorrow.
20 They do not speak in a friendly way;
instead they invent all kinds of lies about peace-loving people.
21 They accuse me, shouting,
“We saw what you did!”
22 But you, O Lord, have seen this.
So don't be silent, Lord;
don't keep yourself far away!
23 Rouse yourself, O Lord, and defend me;
rise up, my God, and plead my cause.
24 You are righteous, O Lord, so declare me innocent;
don't let my enemies gloat over me.
25 Don't let them say to themselves,
“We are rid of him!
That's just what we wanted!”
26 May those who gloat over my suffering
be completely defeated and confused;
may those who claim to be better than I am
be covered with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who want to see me acquitted
shout for joy and say again and again,
“How great is the Lord!
He is pleased with the success of his servant.”
28 Then I will proclaim your righteousness,
and I will praise you all day long.
Regulations for the Sabbath
35 Moses called together the whole community of the people of Israel and said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 (A)You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is to be sacred, a solemn day of rest dedicated to me, the Lord. Anyone who does any work on that day is to be put to death. 3 Do not even light a fire in your homes on the Sabbath.”
Offerings for the Sacred Tent(B)
4 Moses said to all the people of Israel, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 5 Make an offering to the Lord. Everyone who wishes to do so is to bring an offering of gold, silver, or bronze; 6 fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; cloth made of goats' hair; 7 rams' skin dyed red; fine leather; acacia wood; 8 oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense; 9 carnelians and other jewels to be set in the High Priest's ephod and in his breastpiece.
Articles for the Tent of the Lord's Presence(C)
10 “All the skilled workers among you are to come and make everything that the Lord commanded: 11 the Tent, its covering and its outer covering, its hooks and its frames, its crossbars, its posts, and its bases; 12 the Covenant Box, its poles, its lid, and the curtain to screen it off; 13 the table, its poles, and all its equipment; the bread offered to God; 14 the lampstand for the light and its equipment; the lamps with their oil; 15 the altar for burning incense and its poles; the anointing oil; the sweet-smelling incense; the curtain for the entrance of the Tent; 16 the altar on which to burn offerings, with its bronze grating attached, its poles, and all its equipment; the washbasin and its base; 17 the curtains for the enclosure, its posts and bases; the curtain for the entrance of the enclosure; 18 the Tent pegs and ropes for the Tent and the enclosure; 19 and the magnificent garments the priests are to wear when they serve in the Holy Place—the sacred clothes for Aaron the priest and for his sons.”
The People Bring Their Offerings
20 All the people of Israel left, 21 and everyone who wished to do so brought an offering to the Lord for making the Tent of the Lord's presence. They brought everything needed for use in worship and for making the priestly garments. 22 All who wanted to, both men and women, brought decorative pins, earrings, rings, necklaces, and all kinds of gold jewelry and dedicated them to the Lord. 23 Everyone who had fine linen; blue, purple, or red wool; cloth of goats' hair; rams' skin dyed red; or fine leather, brought it. 24 All who were able to contribute silver or bronze brought their offering for the Lord, and all who had acacia wood which could be used for any of the work brought it. 25 All the skilled women brought fine linen thread and thread of blue, purple, and red wool, which they had made. 26 They also made thread of goats' hair. 27 The leaders brought carnelians and other jewels to be set in the ephod and the breastpiece 28 and spices and oil for the lamps, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet-smelling incense. 29 All the people of Israel who wanted to brought their offering to the Lord for the work which he had commanded Moses to do.
9 (A)The next day, as they were on their way and coming near Joppa, Peter went up on the roof of the house about noon in order to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat; while the food was being prepared, he had a vision. 11 He saw heaven opened and something coming down that looked like a large sheet being lowered by its four corners to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles, and wild birds. 13 A voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat!”
14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord! I have never eaten anything ritually unclean or defiled.”
15 The voice spoke to him again, “Do not consider anything unclean that God has declared clean.” 16 This happened three times, and then the thing was taken back up into heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of this vision, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon's house was, and they were now standing in front of the gate. 18 They called out and asked, “Is there a guest here by the name of Simon Peter?”
19 Peter was still trying to understand what the vision meant, when the Spirit said, “Listen! Three[a] men are here looking for you. 20 So get ready and go down, and do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” 21 So Peter went down and said to the men, “I am the man you are looking for. Why have you come?”
22 “Captain Cornelius sent us,” they answered. “He is a good man who worships God and is highly respected by all the Jewish people. An angel of God told him to invite you to his house, so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Peter invited the men in and had them spend the night there.
The next day he got ready and went with them; and some of the believers from Joppa went along with him.
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.