Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
BOOK TWO
(Psalms 42–72)
For the choir director; a maskil [a] by Korah’s descendants.
42 As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When may I come to see God’s face?
3 My tears are my food day and night.
People ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 I will remember these things as I pour out my soul:
how I used to walk with the crowd
and lead it in a procession to God’s house.
⌞I sang⌟ songs of joy and thanksgiving
while crowds of people celebrated a festival.
5 Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in God,
because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my God.
6 My soul is discouraged.
That is why I will remember you
in the land of Jordan, on the peaks of Hermon, on Mount Mizar.
7 One deep sea calls to another at the roar of your waterspouts.
All the whitecaps on your waves have swept over me.
8 The Lord commands his mercy during the day,
and at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will ask God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk around in mourning
while the enemy oppresses me?”
10 With a shattering blow to my bones,
my enemies taunt me.
They ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in God,
because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my God.
13 The next day Moses was settling disagreements among the people. The people stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “Why are you doing this for the people? Why do you sit here alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
15 Moses answered his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to find out God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a disagreement and bring it to me, I decide which person is right, and I tell them God’s laws and instructions.”
17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you’re doing is not good. 18 You and your people will wear yourselves out. This is too much work for you. You can’t do it alone! 19 Now listen to me, and I’ll give you some advice. May God be with you! You must be the people’s representative to God and bring their disagreements to him. 20 You must instruct them in the laws and the teachings, show them how to live, and tell them what to do.
21 “But choose capable men from all the people, men who fear God, men you can trust, men who hate corruption. Put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people. 22 Let them be the ones who usually settle disagreements among the people. They should bring all important cases to you, but they should settle all minor cases themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them help you. 23 If God commands you, and you do this, you will be able to continue your work, and all these people will have their disagreements settled so that they can go home.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 Moses chose capable men from all the Israelites and put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people. 26 These men were the ones who usually settled disagreements among the people. They would bring difficult cases to Moses, but they settled all minor ones themselves.
27 Moses sent his father-in-law on his way. So Jethro went back to his own country.
15 Some people tell the message about Christ because of their jealousy and envy. Others tell the message about him because of their good will. 16 Those who tell the message about Christ out of love know that God has put me here to defend the Good News. 17 But the others are insincere. They tell the message about Christ out of selfish ambition in order to stir up trouble for me while I’m in prison. 18 But what does it matter? Nothing matters except that, in one way or another, people are told the message about Christ, whether with honest or dishonest motives, and I’m happy about that.
Paul Honors Christ Whether He Lives or Dies
Yes, I will continue to be happy 19 for another reason. I know that I will be set free through your prayers and through the help that comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of. I will speak very boldly and honor Christ in my body, now as always, whether I live or die. 21 Christ means everything to me in this life, and when I die I’ll have even more.
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