Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

101 I will sing about your loving-kindness and your justice, Lord. I will sing your praises!

² I will try to walk a blameless path, but how I need your help, especially in my own home, where I long to act as I should.

³ Help me to refuse the low and vulgar things; help me to abhor all crooked deals of every kind, to have no part in them. ⁴ I will reject all selfishness and stay away from every evil. ⁵ I will not tolerate anyone who secretly slanders his neighbors; I will not permit conceit and pride. ⁶ I will make the godly of the land my heroes and invite them to my home. Only those who are truly good shall be my servants. ⁷ But I will not allow those who deceive and lie to stay in my house. ⁸ My daily task will be to ferret out criminals and free the city of God from their grip.

⁹ It was during the fourth year of his reign (which was the seventh year of the reign of King Hoshea in Israel) that King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked Israel and began a siege on the city of Samaria. ¹⁰ Three years later (during the sixth year of the reign of King Hezekiah and the ninth year of the reign of King Hoshea of Israel) Samaria fell. ¹¹ It was at that time that the king of Assyria transported the Israelis to Assyria and put them in colonies in the city of Halath and along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. ¹² For they had refused to listen to the Lord their God or to do what he wanted them to do. Instead, they had transgressed his covenant and disobeyed all the laws given to them by Moses the servant of the Lord.

¹³ Later, during the fourteenth year of the reign of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria besieged and captured all the fortified cities of Judah. ¹⁴ King Hezekiah sued for peace and sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. I will pay whatever tribute you demand if you will only go away.” The king of Assyria then demanded a settlement of $1,500,000. ¹⁵ To gather this amount, King Hezekiah used all the silver stored in the Temple and in the palace treasury. ¹⁶ He even stripped off the gold from the Temple doors, and from the doorposts he had overlaid with gold, and gave it all to the Assyrian king.

¹⁷ Nevertheless the king of Assyria sent his field marshal, his chief treasurer, and his chief of staff from Lachish with a great army; and they camped along the highway beside the field where cloth was bleached, near the conduit of the upper pool. ¹⁸ They demanded that King Hezekiah come out to speak to them, but instead he sent a truce delegation of the following men: Eliakim, his business manager; Shebnah, his secretary; and Joah, his royal historian.

⁶ If you explain this to the others you will be doing your duty as a worthy pastor who is fed by faith and by the true teaching you have followed.

⁷ Don’t waste time arguing over foolish ideas and silly myths and legends. Spend your time and energy in the exercise of keeping spiritually fit. ⁸ Bodily exercise is all right, but spiritual exercise is much more important and is a tonic for all you do. So exercise yourself spiritually, and practice being a better Christian because that will help you not only now in this life, but in the next life too. ^9-10 This is the truth and everyone should accept it. We work hard and suffer much in order that people will believe it, for our hope is in the living God who died for all, and particularly for those who have accepted his salvation.

¹¹ Teach these things and make sure everyone learns them well. ¹² Don’t let anyone think little of you because you are young. Be their ideal; let them follow the way you teach and live; be a pattern for them in your love, your faith, and your clean thoughts. ¹³ Until I get there, read and explain the Scriptures to the church; preach God’s Word.

¹⁴ Be sure to use the abilities God has given you through his prophets when the elders of the church laid their hands upon your head. ¹⁵ Put these abilities to work; throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone may notice your improvement and progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on all you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you and use you to help others.