Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

My Help Comes from Yahweh

A Song of Ascents.

²⁶ Now ^(A)above the expanse that was over their heads there was something in the ^(B)likeness of a throne, like ^(C)sapphire stone in appearance; and upon the likeness of the throne, high up, was the likeness of one with the appearance of a ^(D)man. ²⁷ Then I saw from the appearance of His loins and upward something ^(E)like the gleam of ^[a]glowing metal with the appearance of fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something with the appearance of fire; and there was a radiance all around Him. ²⁸ As the appearance of the ^(F)rainbow ^[b]in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the radiance all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the ^(G)glory of Yahweh. And I saw this, and I ^(H)fell on my face and heard a sound of a voice speaking.

The Sending of Ezekiel

2 Then He said to me, “Son of man, ^(I)stand on your feet that I may speak with you!”

26 ^(A)Now Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul, stretching out his hand, began to make his defense:

² “Concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I regard myself blessed, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; ^3 [a]especially because you are an expert in all ^(B)customs and ^[b]questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴ “So then, all Jews know ^(C)my manner of life from my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; ⁵ since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a ^(D)Pharisee ^(E)according to the strictest ^(F)sect of our religion. ⁶ And now I am standing here being tried ^(G)for the hope of ^(H)the promise made by God to our fathers; ⁷ the promise ^(I)to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this ^(J)hope, O King, I am being ^(K)accused by Jews. ⁸ Why is it considered unbelievable among all of you ^(L)if God does raise the dead?

⁹ “So then, ^(M)I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to ^(N)the name of Jesus the Nazarene. ¹⁰ And this is ^[c]just what I ^(O)did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the ^[d]saints in prisons, having ^(P)received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I ^(Q)cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And ^(R)as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being ^(S)furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them ^(T)even to ^[e]foreign cities.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

¹² “^[f]While so engaged ^(U)as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, ¹³ at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, ^[g]brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. ¹⁴ And when we had ^(V)all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the ^[h](W)Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? ^[i]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But rise up and ^(X)stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to ^(Y)appoint you a ^(Z)servant and ^(AA)a witness not only to the things which you have ^[j]seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; ^17 (AB)rescuing you ^(AC)from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, ¹⁸ to ^(AD)open their eyes so that they may turn from ^(AE)darkness to light and from the authority of ^(AF)Satan to God, that they may receive ^(AG)forgiveness of sins and an ^(AH)inheritance among those who have been sanctified by ^(AI)faith in Me.’