Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

9 ¶ Nevertheless this darkness shall not be the same as the affliction that came upon her when they lightly touched the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, nor afterward when they more grievously afflicted her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles.

² The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; those that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined.

³ As thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast not increased the joy. They shall rejoice before thee as they rejoice in the harvest and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

⁴ For thou hast broken his heavy yoke and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

⁴ One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the LORD and to enquire in his temple.

⁵ For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his tabernacle; in the secret of his tent shall he hide me; he shall set me high upon a rock.

⁶ And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tabernacle; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

⁷ ¶ Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me and answer me.

⁸ My heart has spoken unto me from thee, Seek my face. Thy face, O LORD, will I seek.

⁹ Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy slave away in anger: thou hast been my help; do not leave me or forsake me, O God of my saving health.

¹⁰ ¶ Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfect, joined together in the same understanding and in the same perception.

¹¹ For it has been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by those of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

¹² In other words, that each one of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.

¹³ Is the Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?

¹⁴ ¶ I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius,

¹⁵ lest any should say that ye were baptized into my name.

¹⁶ And I baptized also the household of Stephanas; besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

¹⁷ ¶ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross {Gr. stauros – stake} of Christ should be made void.

¹⁸ For the word of the cross {Gr. stauros – stake} is foolishness to those that perish, but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God.

¹² ¶ Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he returned to Galilee;

¹³ and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali,

¹⁴ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁵ The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

¹⁶ the people who sat in darkness saw great light, and to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up.

¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand.

¹⁸ ¶ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers.

¹⁹ And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

²⁰ And they straightway left their nets and followed him.

²¹ And going on from there, he saw another two brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.

²² And they immediately left the ship and their father and followed him.

²³ ¶ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every sickness and every bodily weakness among the people.