Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 54
Prayer for Deliverance
For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Davidic Maskil. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?”(A)
1 God, save me by Your name,
and vindicate me by Your might!(B)
2 God, hear my prayer;
listen to the words of my mouth.(C)
3 For strangers rise up against me,
and violent men seek my life.
They have no regard for God.[a](D)
24 Then Zedekiah(A) son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Did[a] the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?”(B)
25 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see when you go to hide yourself in an inner chamber on that day.”(C)
26 Then the king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son,(D) 27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison(E) and feed him only bread and water[b] until I come back safely.’”
28 But Micaiah said, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.”(F) Then he said, “Listen, all you people!”[c](G)
Ahab’s Death
29 Then(H) the king of Israel and Judah’s King Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead.(I) 30 But the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise(J) myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal attire.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.(K)
31 Now the king of Aram had ordered his 32 chariot commanders,(L) “Do not fight with anyone at all except the king of Israel.”(M)
32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
34 But a man drew his bow(N) without taking special aim and struck the king of Israel through the joints of his armor. So he said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle,[d] for I am badly wounded!”(O) 35 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He died that evening,(P) and blood from his wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. 36 Then the cry rang out in the army as the sun set, declaring:
Each man to his own city,
and each man to his own land!(Q)
37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria. They buried the king in Samaria.(R) 38 Then someone washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria. The dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes bathed in it, according to the word of the Lord that He had spoken.(S)
39 The rest of the events of Ahab’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, including the ivory palace(T) he built, and all the cities he built, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.(U) 40 Ahab rested with his fathers,(V) and his son Ahaziah(W) became king in his place.
25 So that you will not be conceited,(A) brothers, I do not want you to be unaware(B) of this mystery:(C) A partial hardening has come to Israel(D) until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.(E) 26 And in this way all[a] Israel will be saved, as it is written:
The Liberator will come from Zion;
He will turn away godlessness from Jacob.
27 And this will be My covenant with them(F)[b]
when I take away their sins.(G)[c]
28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage,(H) but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs,(I) 29 since God’s gracious gifts and calling(J) are irrevocable.[d](K) 30 As you once disobeyed God, but now have received mercy through their disobedience, 31 so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also now[e] may receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience,(L) so that He may have mercy on all.
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