Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
BOOK 2
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
For the music director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c](A)pants for You, God.
2 My soul (B)thirsts for God, for the (C)living God;
When shall I come and [d](D)appear before God?
3 My (E)tears have been my food day and night,
While they (F)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 I remember these things and (G)pour out my soul within me.
For I (H)used to go over with the multitude and walk them to the house of God,
With a voice of (I)joy and thanksgiving, a multitude celebrating a festival.
5 (J)Why are you [e](K)in despair, my soul?
And why are you (L)restless within me?
(M)Wait for God, for I will [f]again praise [g]Him
For the [h](N)help of His [i]presence, my God.
6 My soul is [j]in despair within me;
Therefore I (O)remember You from (P)the land of the Jordan
And the [k]peaks of (Q)Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your (R)breakers and Your waves have passed over me.
8 The Lord will (S)send His goodness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me (T)in the night,
A prayer to (U)the God of my life.
9 I will say to God (V)my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go about (W)mourning [l]because of the (X)oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
While they (Y)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 (Z)Why are you [m]in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will again praise [n]Him
For the [o]help of His presence, my God.
Jethro Counsels Moses
13 And it came about the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. 14 Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me (A)to inquire of God. 16 When they have a [a](B)dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between someone and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law then said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 (C)You will surely wear out, both yourself and [b]these people who are with you, because the [c]task is too heavy for you; (D)you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to [d]me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. [e]You be the people’s representative before God, and you (E)bring the [f]disputes to God, 20 (F)then admonish them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them (G)the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21 Furthermore, you shall [g]select out of all the people (H)able men (I)who fear God, men of truth, those who (J)hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, [h]of hundreds, [i]of fifties, and [j]of tens. 22 Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be (K)that they will bring to you every major matter, but they will judge every minor matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, and (L)they will carry the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to [k]endure, and all [l]these people also will go to [m]their places in peace.”
24 So Moses listened [n]to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. 25 Moses chose (M)able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, [o]of hundreds, [p]of fifties, and [q]of tens. 26 Then they judged the people at all times; (N)they would bring the difficult matter to Moses, but they would judge every minor matter themselves. 27 Then Moses [r](O)said goodbye to his father-in-law, and [s]Jethro went his way to his own land.
15 (A)Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even [a]from envy and strife, but some also [b]from goodwill; 16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the (B)gospel; 17 the former proclaim Christ (C)out of selfish ambition [c]rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my [d](D)imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.
But not only that, I also will rejoice, 19 for I know that this will turn out for my [e]deliverance (E)through your [f]prayers and the provision of (F)the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my (G)eager expectation and (H)hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with (I)all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be (J)exalted in my body, (K)whether by life or by death.
To Live Is Christ
21 For to me, (L)to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.