Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A song for old age
71 Lord, I have come to you to keep me safe.
Never let me become ashamed.
2 You always do what is right,
so please rescue me!
Listen to me, and come to save me!
3 Be a rock where I can hide.
Be a strong place where I can be safe.
You are my high rock and my strong, safe place.
4 My God, save me from the power of wicked people,
so that those cruel people cannot catch me.
5 My Lord, I trust you to help me.
I have trusted in you, Lord,
since I was young.
6 Since I was born,
you have been there to help me.
You have taken care of me
since my mother gave birth to me.
So I will always praise you!
20 They may offer to me sweet incense that comes from Sheba.
But that does not please me.
The spices that they bring from lands far away
do not please me either.
I will not accept the burnt offerings or other sacrifices
that they offer to me.’
21 So this is what the Lord says:
‘I will send troubles to make these people fall down.
Fathers and their children will all fall to the ground.
Their friends and their neighbours will die.’
22 This is what the Lord says:
‘Look! An army is coming from the north.
A great nation is preparing to attack you
from a place that is far away.
23 Its soldiers carry bows and spears as their weapons.
They are always cruel and they are never kind.
They ride into the battle on their horses,
and it sounds like the noise of the sea.
They are ready to attack you,
people of Jerusalem.’
24 The people say,
‘We have heard news about them,
and we are very frightened.
We feel too weak to fight.
We are afraid and in pain,
like a woman who is giving birth.
25 Do not go out into the fields.
Do not travel on the roads.
Our enemies are everywhere.
They have their swords ready to attack us.
Danger is all around us.’
26 So I say, ‘My dear people, show that you are sorry.
Wear sackcloth and sit in ashes.
Weep and cry aloud,
as if your only child had died.
Realize that the enemy's army will soon be here
and they are ready to destroy us.’
27 The Lord said to me,
‘I have sent you to test my people.
Test them like someone tests metal.
Watch them carefully,
to see how they live.
28 They have completely turned against God.
They refuse to change their minds.
They tell lies against people,
and they cheat them.
29 A very hot fire can remove the dirt from silver
and make it pure.
I punish my people to make them pure,
but it is useless.
There are too many wicked people,
so I cannot make them pure.
30 I, the Lord, cannot accept them,
so they are like useless silver.’
What happened in Thessalonica
17 Paul and his friends continued their journey. They went through the two towns called Amphipolis and Apollonia.[a] Then they arrived in the city of Thessalonica. There was a Jewish meeting place there. 2 Paul went to the meeting place, as he usually did on a Jewish day of rest. On three rest days, he spoke God's message to the people there. He read from the Bible and he explained what it meant. 3 He told the people what was true about God's Messiah. He used the Bible to show them clearly that the Messiah had to suffer and die. He also showed them that the Messiah had to become alive again. Paul said to them, ‘I have been telling you about Jesus. He is the Messiah that God has sent to us.’
4 Some of the Jews believed Paul's message. They joined the group with Paul and Silas. A large number of Greek people who now worshipped God also joined this group.[b] Many important women in the city also believed and they joined the group.
5 Some other Jews in the city were jealous of Paul and Silas, because people believed their message. So they went to the city's market place and they found some bad men there. These men often caused trouble in the city. Now the Jews brought these men to come together with them in an angry crowd. This crowd made a lot of noise and trouble in the streets of the city. They went to Jason's house and they broke down his door. They wanted to find Paul and Silas. They wanted to bring them out of the house to the crowd. 6 But they did not find Paul and Silas there. So they took hold of Jason and some other believers. They pulled them out of the house. They made them go and stand in front of the important officers of the city. They shouted, ‘These men have caused much trouble everywhere. Now they have come to our city. 7 Jason has let them stay in his house. They speak against the laws that Caesar has given to us. They say that there is another king. This other king is called Jesus.’
8 The whole crowd of people and the important officers heard this report about Paul and Silas. They became very angry and upset. 9 The officers decided how much money Jason and the other believers should pay to go free. When they received it, they allowed them to go.
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