Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
(A psalm by David.)
The Voice of the Lord in a Storm
1 (A) All you angels[a] in heaven,
honor the glory and power
of the Lord!
2 Honor the wonderful name
of the Lord,
and worship the Lord
most holy and glorious.[b]
3 The voice of the Lord
echoes over the oceans.
The glorious Lord God
thunders above the roar
of the raging sea,
4 and his voice is mighty
and marvelous.
5 The voice of the Lord
destroys the cedar trees;
the Lord shatters cedars
on Mount Lebanon.
6 God makes Mount Lebanon
skip like a calf
and Mount Hermon
jump like a wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord
makes lightning flash
8 and the desert tremble.
And because of the Lord,
the desert near Kadesh
shivers and shakes.
9 The voice of the Lord
makes deer give birth
before their time.[c]
Forests are stripped of leaves,
and the temple is filled
with shouts of praise.
10 The Lord rules on his throne,
king of the flood[d] forever.
11 Pray that our Lord
will make us strong
and give us peace.
16 Moses followed the Lord's instructions. 17 And on the first day of the first month[a] of the second year, the sacred tent was set up. 18 The posts, stands, and framework were put in place, 19 then the two layers of coverings were hung over them. 20 The stones with the Ten Commandments written on them were stored in the sacred chest, the place of mercy[b] was put on top of it, and the carrying poles were attached. 21 The chest was brought into the tent and set behind the curtain in the most holy place. These things were done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.
22 The table for the sacred bread was put along the north wall of the holy place, 23 after which the bread was set on the table. 24 The lampstand was put along the south wall, 25 then the lamps were attached to it there in the presence of the Lord. 26 The gold incense altar was set up in front of the curtain, 27 and sweet-smelling incense was burned on it. These things were done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.
28 The curtain was hung at the entrance to the sacred tent. 29 Then the altar for offering sacrifices was put in front of the tent, and animal sacrifices and gifts of grain were offered there. 30 The large bronze bowl was placed between the altar and the entrance to the tent. It was filled with water, 31 then Moses and Aaron, together with Aaron's sons, washed their hands and feet. 32 In fact, they washed each time before entering the tent or offering sacrifices at the altar. These things were done exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses.
33 Finally, Moses had the curtains hung around the courtyard and at the entrance.
The Glory of the Lord
34 (A) Suddenly the sacred tent was covered by a thick cloud and filled with the glory of the Lord. 35 And so, Moses could not enter the tent. 36 Whenever the cloud moved from the tent, the people would break camp and follow; 37 then they would set up camp and stay there, until it moved again. 38 No matter where the people traveled, the Lord was with them. Each day his cloud was over the tent, and each night a fire could be seen in the cloud.
35 The next morning the officials sent some police with orders for the jailer to let Paul and Silas go. 36 The jailer told Paul, “The officials have ordered me to set you free. Now you can leave in peace.”
37 But Paul told the police, “We are Roman citizens,[a] and the Roman officials had us beaten in public without giving us a trial. They threw us into jail. Now do they think they can secretly send us away? No, they cannot! They will have to come here themselves and let us out.”
38 When the police told the officials that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, the officials were afraid. 39 So they came and apologized. They led them out of the jail and asked them to please leave town. 40 But Paul and Silas went straight to the home of Lydia, where they saw the Lord's followers and encouraged them. Then they left.
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