Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison
16 Now[a] as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means.[b] She[c] brought her owners[d] a great profit by fortune-telling.[e] 17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out,[f] “These men are servants[g] of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way[h] of salvation.”[i] 18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed,[j] and turned[k] and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ[l] to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once.[m] 19 But when her owners[n] saw their hope of profit[o] was gone, they seized[p] Paul and Silas and dragged[q] them into the marketplace[r] before the authorities. 20 When[s] they had brought them[t] before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion.[u] They are[v] Jews 21 and are advocating[w] customs that are not lawful for us to accept[x] or practice,[y] since we are[z] Romans.”
22 The crowd joined the attack[aa] against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes[ab] off Paul and Silas[ac] and ordered them to be beaten with rods.[ad] 23 After they had beaten them severely,[ae] they threw them into prison and commanded[af] the jailer to guard them securely. 24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell[ag] and fastened their feet in the stocks.[ah]
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying[ai] and singing hymns to God,[aj] and the rest of[ak] the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds[al] of all the prisoners came loose. 27 When the jailer woke up[am] and saw the doors of the prison standing open,[an] he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,[ao] because he assumed[ap] the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out loudly,[aq] “Do not harm yourself,[ar] for we are all here!” 29 Calling for lights, the jailer[as] rushed in and fell down[at] trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside[au] and asked, “Sirs, what must[av] I do to be saved?” 31 They replied,[aw] “Believe[ax] in the Lord Jesus[ay] and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then[az] they spoke the word of the Lord[ba] to him, along with all those who were in his house. 33 At[bb] that hour of the night he took them[bc] and washed their wounds;[bd] then[be] he and all his family[bf] were baptized right away.[bg] 34 The jailer[bh] brought them into his house and set food[bi] before them, and he rejoiced greatly[bj] that he had come to believe[bk] in God, together with his entire household.[bl]
Psalm 97[a]
97 The Lord reigns.
Let the earth be happy.
Let the many coastlands rejoice.
2 Dark clouds surround him;
equity and justice are the foundation of his throne.[b]
3 Fire goes before him;
on every side[c] it burns up his enemies.
4 His lightning bolts light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The sky declares his justice,
and all the nations see his splendor.
7 All who worship idols are ashamed,
those who boast about worthless idols.
All the gods bow down before him.[d]
8 Zion hears and rejoices,
the towns[e] of Judah are happy,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, O Lord, are the Most High[f] over the whole earth;
you are elevated high above all gods.
10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects[g] the lives of his faithful followers;
he delivers them from the power[h] of the wicked.
11 The godly bask in the light;
the morally upright experience joy.[i]
12 You godly ones, rejoice in the Lord.
Give thanks to his holy name.[j]
12 (Look ! I am coming soon,
and my reward is with me to pay[a] each one according to what he has done!
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and the last,
the beginning and the end!)[b]
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can have access[c] to the tree of life and can enter into the city by the gates.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star!”[a] 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say: “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.
20 The one who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.[a]
Jesus Prays for Believers Everywhere
20 “I am not praying[a] only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe[b] in me through their testimony,[c] 21 that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray[d] that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 22 The glory[e] you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one,[f] so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am,[g] so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world[h] . 25 Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men[i] know that you sent me. 26 I made known your name[j] to them, and I will continue to make it known,[k] so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”
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