Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

² Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

³ The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thunders: the LORD is upon many waters.

⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; yea, the LORD broke the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶ And He made them skip like calves; Lebanon and Sirion like the sons of the unicorns.

⁷ The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.

⁸ The voice of the LORD that shall shake the wilderness; the LORD shall shake the wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹ The voice of the LORD shall make the hinds to calve and shall uncover the forests: and in his temple every one speaks to his glory.

¹⁰ The LORD sits upon the flood; yea, the LORD sat down as King for ever.

¹¹ The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people in peace.

³ ¶ And Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you and prepare your hearts unto the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

⁴ Then the sons of Israel did put away the Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the LORD only.

⁵ And Samuel said, Gather all Israel in Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.

⁶ And they gathered together in Mizpeh and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the sons of Israel in Mizpeh.

⁷ ¶ And when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel were gathered together in Mizpeh, the cardinals of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

⁸ And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

⁹ And Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it for a burnt offering completely unto the LORD, and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel, and the LORD heard him.

¹⁰ And it came to pass as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering that the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and crushed them, and they were smitten before Israel.

¹¹ And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh and pursued the Philistines and smote them until they were below Bethcar.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Shen and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Thus far the LORD has helped us.

¹³ ¶ So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the border of Israel, and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

¹⁴ And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel from Ekron even unto Gath with their borders, and Israel delivered them out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorite.

¹⁵ And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

¹⁶ And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places.

¹⁷ Then he would return to Ramah, for there was his house, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto the LORD.

¹⁹ And when he had received food, he was comforted. Then Saul was certain days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

²⁰ And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

²¹ But all that heard him were amazed and said, Is not this he that destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem and came here for that intent that he might bring them bound unto the princes of the priests?

²² But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

²³ ¶ And as many days passed, the Jews took counsel among themselves to kill him;

²⁴ but their ambushes were understood by Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

²⁵ Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket.

²⁶ And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him and did not believe that he was a disciple.

²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way and that he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

²⁸ And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem;

²⁹ and he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Greeks; but they went about to slay him,

³⁰ which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus.

³¹ Then the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} had rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified, walking in the fear of the Lord, and with the comfort of the Holy Spirit they were multiplied.