Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Delight Yourself in Yahweh

Of David.

Aleph

Beth

Gimel

Daleth

He

Hezekiah Reigns over Judah

18 Now it happened ^(A)in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that ^(B)Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. ² He was ^(C)twenty-five years old when he became king; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. ^3 (D)And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that David his father had done. ^4 (E)He took away the high places and shattered the sacred pillars and cut down the ^[a]Asherah. And he broke in pieces ^(F)the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel were burning incense to it; and it was called ^[b]Nehushtan. ^5 (G)He trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel; ^(H)so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. ⁶ So he ^(I)clung to Yahweh; he did not turn away from following Him, but kept His commandments, which Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Hezekiah Prospers

^7 (J)And Yahweh was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And ^(K)he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. ^8 (L)He struck the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from ^(M)watchtower to fortified city.

²⁸ Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in Judean, ^[a]saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. ²⁹ Thus says the king, ‘^(A)Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you from ^[b]his hand; ³⁰ and do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ³¹ Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, “^[c]Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat ^(B)each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern, ³² until I come and take you away ^(C)to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil and honey, that you may live and not die.” But do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, “Yahweh will deliver us.” ^33 (D)Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? ^34 (E)Where are the gods of Hamath and ^(F)Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and ^[d](G)Ivvah? When have they delivered Samaria from my hand? ³⁵ Who among all the gods of the lands ^[e]have delivered their land from my hand, ^(H)that Yahweh would deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’”

³⁶ But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.”

To the Church in Smyrna

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in ^(A)Smyrna write:

^(B)This is what the first and the last, who ^[a](C)was dead, and has come to life, says:

⁹ ‘I know your ^(D)tribulation and your ^(E)poverty (but you are ^(F)rich), and the blasphemy by those who ^(G)say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of ^(H)Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be ^(I)tested, and you will have tribulation ^(J)for ten days. ^[b]Be ^(K)faithful until death, and I will give you ^(L)the crown of life. ^11 (M)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(N)He who overcomes will never be hurt by the ^(O)second death.’