Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 35
A Psalm of David.
1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with my adversaries;
fight those who fight me.
2 Take hold of the large shield and small shield,
and rise up for my help.
3 Draw the spear and javelin
against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
“I am Your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life
be ashamed and humiliated;
may those who plan my injury
be turned back and put to shame.
5 May they be as chaff before the wind,
and may the angel of the Lord cast them down.
6 May their way be dark and slippery,
and may the angel of the Lord pursue them.
7 For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,
which they have dug without cause for my soul.
8 Let destruction come on him without warning,
and let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it, to his destruction.
9 My soul will be joyful in the Lord;
it will rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my bones will say,
“Lord, who is like You,
who delivers the poor from a stronger one,
the poor and the needy from the one who robs them?”
Balak Summons Balaam
22 Then the children of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan from Jericho.
2 Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 Moab was very afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up all that are around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.”
And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying,
“A people went out from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they dwell next to me. 6 And now, please come curse this people for me because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I will prevail, and we will defeat them, and I will drive them out of the land because I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with the divination payments in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.
8 He said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord will speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab dwelt with Balaam.
9 God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, saying, 11 ‘A people went out of Egypt who covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I will be able to battle them and drive them out.’ ”
12 God said to Balaam, “You will not go with them. You will not curse the people because they are blessed.”
13 So Balaam rose up in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land because the Lord refuses to let me to go with you.”
14 The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
15 Again Balak sent officials, more numerous and more honorable than they. 16 They came to Balaam and said to him,
“Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Please, let nothing hold you back from coming to me, 17 because I will promote you to very great honor, and anything you say to me I will do. Come please, curse this people for me.’ ”
18 Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond the command of the Lord my God, to do less or more. 19 Now please remain here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”
20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise up and go with them. But surely the word which I will say to you, that will you do.”
Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel
21 Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
Paul Visits James
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the next day Paul went with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 He greeted them and recounted one by one what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 When they heard this, they glorified the Lord. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who believe, and they are all zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed concerning you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to observe the customs. 22 What then shall be done? The assembly will certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow. 24 Take these men and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may have their heads shaved. Then all will know that what they were told concerning you is nothing, but that you yourself live in observance of the law. 25 As for the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they should observe no such thing, except that they abstain from food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from strangled animals, and from blood.”
26 Then on the next day, Paul took the men and purified himself with them. And he went into the temple, announcing when the days of purification would be complete and an offering would be given for each one of them.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.