Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Let Everything Praise Yahweh
150 Praise Yah.[a]
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty firmament.
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to the abundance of his greatness.
3 Praise him with blast of horn;
praise him with harp and lyre.
4 Praise him with tambourine and dancing;
praise him with strings and flute.
5 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with clashing cymbals.
6 Every breathing thing,
let it praise Yah.[b]
Praise Yah.[c]
The Philistine Champion Taunts Israel
17 The Philistines gathered their camps[a] for battle and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah. They camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes Dammim. 2 Then Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and encamped in the valley of Elah, and they formed ranks for the battle to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines were standing on the hill on one side and the army of Israel was standing on the hill on the other side with the valley between them. 4 Then a champion[b] went out from the camps of the Philistines, whose name was Goliath from Gath. His height was six cubits and a span.[c] 5 A bronze helmet was on his head, and he was clothed with scale body armor; the weight of the body armor was five thousand bronze shekels. 6 Bronze greaves[d] were on his legs,[e] and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam and the point of his spear weighed six hundred iron shekels. His shield bearer[f] was walking in front of him.
8 He stood and called to the battle lines of Israel and said to them, “Why have you come out to form ranks for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Commission for yourselves a man and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and he defeats me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail over him and defeat him, then you will be our servants and you will serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “I hereby defy the battle lines of Israel today! Give me a man so that we may fight each other!” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very afraid.
David Enters the Scene of Battle
12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite. This man was from Bethlehem of Judah, and his name was Jesse. He had[g] eight sons; in the days of Saul this man was old, yet he still walked among[h] the men. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone and followed[i] Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, his second oldest was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. 14 Now David was the youngest. The three oldest followed[j] Saul, 15 but David went back and forth[k] from Saul to feed the sheep of his father in Bethlehem. 16 Now the Philistine came forward early and late, and he took his stand for forty days.
17 Then Jesse said to his son David, “Please take for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and bring them quickly to the camp for your brothers. 18 And these ten portions of cheese you will bring to the commander of the thousand; find out how your brothers are doing,[l] and take their pledge.”[m] 19 Now Saul and they[n] and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah fighting the Philistines.
20 David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and he took the provisions and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment while the troops were going to the battle line, and they raised the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle lines, one battle line against the other.[o] 22 David left the baggage he had with him in the care[p] of the baggage keeper, ran to the battle line, and came and asked how his brothers were doing.[q] 23 While he was speaking to them, the champion,[r] whose name was Goliath the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the caves[s] of the Philistines. He spoke just as he had previously,[t] and David heard his words.
Many Signs and Wonders Are Performed by the Apostles
12 Now many signs and wonders were being performed among the people through the hands of the apostles. And they were all together[a] in Solomon’s Portico. 13 And none of the rest dared to join them, but the people spoke highly of them. 14 And even more believers in the Lord[b] were being added, large numbers of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and put them[c] on cots and mats[d] so that when[e] Peter came by, at least his[f] shadow would fall on some of them. 16 And the people of the towns around Jerusalem also came together, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, who were all being healed.
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