Psalm 46^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.^[b] A song.

¹² The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”

¹³ But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”^(A)

¹⁴ When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”

“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”

¹⁵ The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁶ Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel^(B) scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd,^(C) and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”

¹⁷ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

¹⁸ Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne^(D) with all the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and on his left. ¹⁹ And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’

“One suggested this, and another that. ²⁰ Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’

“‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.

²¹ “‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit^(E) in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.

“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’

²² “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours.^(F) The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

²³ It was necessary, then, for the copies^(A) of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one;^(B) he entered heaven itself,^(C) now to appear for us in God’s presence.^{(D) 25} Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place^(E) every year with blood that is not his own.^{(F) 26} Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.^(G) But he has appeared^(H) once for all^(I) at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.^{(J) 27} Just as people are destined to die once,^(K) and after that to face judgment,^{(L) 28} so Christ was sacrificed once^(M) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,^(N) not to bear sin,^(O) but to bring salvation^(P) to those who are waiting for him.^(Q)