Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 95
Worship and Warning
1 Come, let’s shout joyfully to the Lord,
shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation!(A)
2 Let’s enter his presence with thanksgiving;
let’s shout triumphantly to him in song.(B)
Micaiah’s Message of Defeat
13 The messenger(A) who went to call Micaiah instructed him, “Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
14 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives,(B) I will say whatever the Lord says to me.”(C)
15 So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should we refrain?”
Micaiah told him, “March up and succeed. The Lord will hand it over to the king.”
16 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17 So Micaiah said:
I saw all Israel scattered on the hills
like sheep without a shepherd.(D)
And the Lord said,
“They have no master;
let everyone return home in peace.”(E)
18 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”
19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne,(F) and the whole heavenly army(G) was standing by him at his right hand and at his left hand. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ (H) So one was saying this and another was saying that.
21 “Then a spirit came forward, stood in the Lord’s presence, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
22 “The Lord asked him, ‘How?’
“He said, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit(I) in the mouth of all his prophets.’
“Then he said, ‘You will certainly entice him and prevail.(J) Go and do that.’
23 “You see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.”
The Lamb and the 144,000
14 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion,(A) and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.(B) 2 I heard a sound[a] from heaven like the sound of cascading waters(C) and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps.(D) 3 They sang[b] a new song(E) before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders,(F) but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins.(G) These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed[c] from humanity as the firstfruits(H) for God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.(I)
The Proclamation of Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel(J) flying high overhead,(K) with the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.(L) 7 He spoke with a loud voice:(M) “Fear God(N) and give him glory,(O) because the hour of his judgment has come.(P) Worship the one who made heaven and earth,(Q) the sea and the springs of water.”
8 And another, a second angel, followed, saying, “It has fallen, Babylon the Great(R) has fallen.[d] She made all the nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality,[e] which brings wrath.”(S)
9 And another, a third angel, followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is poured full strength into the cup of his anger.(T) He will be tormented with fire and sulfur(U) in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, 11 and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever.(V) There is no rest[f](W) day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or anyone who receives the mark(X) of its name.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.