Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Prayer for Help
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of David when the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “·We think David is [L Is not David…?] hiding among ·our people [L us; 1 Sam. 23:13–29; 26:1].”
54 God, ·save [give victory to] me ·because of who you are [L by your name].
By your ·strength [L name] ·show that I am innocent [contend for me].
2 Hear my prayer, God;
·listen [L give ear] to ·what I say [L the speech of my mouth].
3 Strangers ·turn [L rise up] against me,
and ·cruel people want to kill me [L violent people seek my life].
They do not ·care about God [think about God; L set God before them]. ·
4 ·See [T Behold], God ·will help me [L is my helper];
the Lord ·will support me [L is with/or among those who uphold me].
5 Let ·my enemies be punished with their own evil [L evil return to my enemies].
·Destroy [Put an end to] them because ·you are loyal to me [L of your faithfulness].
6 I will ·offer a sacrifice as a special gift [sacrifice a freewill offering] to you.
I will ·thank [praise] ·you [L your name], Lord, because you are good.
7 You have ·saved [rescued] me from all my ·troubles [distress],
and ·I have seen my enemies defeated [L my eyes have looked on my enemies].
24 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up to Micaiah and slapped him in the ·face [cheek]. Zedekiah said, “·Has [How did] the Lord’s spirit ·left [pass from] me to speak through you?”
25 Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an ·inside [secret] room [C when the prophesied disaster strikes].”
26 Then Ahab king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and ·send [return] him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son. 27 Tell them I said to put this man in prison and ·give [feed] him only bread and water until I return safely [C from the upcoming battle].”
28 Micaiah said, “Ahab, if you come back safely, the Lord has not spoken through me. ·Remember [Mark; Listen to] my words, all you people!”
29 So Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah ·went to [marched on] Ramoth in Gilead. 30 King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “When I go into battle, I will ·wear other clothes [disguise myself] so no one will recognize me. But you wear your royal clothes.” So Ahab ·wore other clothes [disguised himself] and went into battle [22:15].
31 The king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Don’t fight with anyone—·important or unimportant [L small or great]—except the king of Israel.” 32 When these chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought he was certainly the king of Israel, so they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat began shouting, 33 they saw he was not King Ahab, and they stopped chasing him.
34 By chance, a soldier shot an arrow and hit Ahab king of Israel ·between the pieces [in a gap/joint] of his armor. King Ahab said to his chariot driver, “Turn around and get me out of the battle, because I am ·hurt [badly wounded]!” 35 The battle ·continued [raged] all day. King Ahab was ·held [propped] up in his chariot and faced the Arameans. His blood from the wound flowed down to the bottom of the chariot. That evening he died. 36 Near sunset a cry went out through the army of Israel: “Each man go back to his own city and land [C an indication of panic and defeat].”
37 In that way King Ahab ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors]. His body was carried to Samaria and buried there. 38 The men cleaned Ahab’s chariot at a pool in Samaria ·where prostitutes bathed [or and the prostitutes bathed in his blood], and the dogs licked his blood from the chariot. These things happened as the ·Lord had said they would [word of the Lord had spoken].
39 Everything else Ahab did ·is [L is it not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 14:19] of the kings of Israel. It tells about the ·palace Ahab built and decorated with ivory [L ivory house] and the cities he built. 40 So Ahab ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors], and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.
25 I ·want you to understand [L do not want you to be ignorant of] this ·secret [mystery; C something God had not previously disclosed; Eph. 1:9], brothers and sisters, so you will ·understand that you do not know everything [not become conceited/arrogant/superior-minded]: ·Part of Israel has been made stubborn [or A partial hardening has happened to Israel], ·but that will change when [L until] the ·complete number [or appointed number; L fullness] of the Gentiles have come ·to God [or into the kingdom; L in]. 26 And ·that is how [in this way; or so it will be that; or so in the end] all Israel will be saved. [L As; Just as] It is written in the Scriptures:
“The ·Savior [Rescuer; Deliverer] will come from ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C a poetic term for Jerusalem symbolizing the nation Israel];
he will take away ·all evil [wickedness; godlessness] from ·the family of Jacob [L Jacob; C Abraham’s grandson (renamed “Israel”), whose sons became the twelve tribes of Israel; Is. 59:20–21].
27 And I will make this ·agreement [covenant] with those people
when I take away their sins [Is. 27:9].”
28 ·The Jews refuse to accept the Good News, so [L With regard to the Gospel,] they are God’s enemies. ·This has happened to help you who are not Jews [L …for your sake; C Israel’s rejection resulted in the proclamation of the Good News to the Gentiles; vv. 11, 12]. But ·the Jews are still God’s chosen people, and he loves them very much [L with regard to election, they are beloved] because of ·the promises he made to their ancestors [L the ancestors/fathers/patriarchs]. 29 ·God never changes his mind about the people he calls and the things he gives them [L For God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable]. 30 [L For] At one time you refused to obey God. But now you have received mercy, because those people refused to obey. 31 And now the Jews refuse to obey, ·because God showed mercy to you. But this happened so that they also can[a] receive mercy from him [or but this happened so that they also can[b] receive mercy from him, because of the mercy God showed to you]. 32 God has ·given [imprisoned] all people ·over to their stubborn ways [L to/in disobedience] so that he can show mercy to all.
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