Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 54^[a]

Prayer in Time of Danger

¹ For the director.^[b] On stringed instruments. A maskil of David. ² When the Ziphites came to Saul and said, “David is hiding among us.”

²⁴ Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, approached Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. He said, “How did the Spirit of the Lord depart from me to speak to you?” ²⁵ Micaiah answered, “Behold, the day will come when you will enter an inner chamber to hide yourself.”

²⁶ The king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the city leader, and to Joash, the king’s son ²⁷ and say, ‘Thus says the king: Put this man in prison and feed him with punishment rations of bread and give him punishment rations of water to drink until I return in safety.’ ” ²⁸ Micaiah said, “If you return in safety, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” He also added, “Listen, all you people!”

²⁹ Ahab’s Death. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-gilead. ³⁰ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will go into battle disguised, but you go into battle dressed in your robes.” So the king of Israel went into battle disguised.

³¹ Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his thirty-two chariots, “Do not fight with the small nor the great; save yourselves for the king of Israel.” ³² When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “This is certainly the king of Israel.” They turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out, ³³ the captains of the chariots realized that it was not the king of Israel. They turned away from pursuing him.

³⁴ But someone drew his bow, and by chance he hit the king of Israel in the joints of his armor. He said to his chariot driver, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”^{[a] 35} As the battle grew more savage that day, they propped the king up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound dripped onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.

³⁶ As the sun was setting, there was a cry that spread through the army: “Everyone to his own city, everyone to his own land.” ³⁷ And so the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. ³⁸ Someone washed out the chariot at the pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the prostitutes were bathing. This fulfilled what the word of the Lord had said.

³⁹ Are not the rest of the deeds of Ahab and all that he did, the ivory house and all of the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ⁴⁰ Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah, his son, reigned in his stead.

²⁵ All Israel Will Be Saved.^[a] I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brethren, lest you think yourselves too wise: this hardening that has afflicted Israel will continue only until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ This is how all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

²⁸ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake. However, as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of the patriarchs. ²⁹ For the gifts of God and his calling are irrevocable.

³⁰ Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, ³¹ so they too have now become disobedient in order that, through the mercy shown to you, they too may receive mercy. ³² For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may show mercy to all.