Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 37[a]
Fate of the Wicked and Reward of the Righteous
1 Of David.
Do not fume because of evildoers
or envy those who do wrong.
2 They will wither quickly like the grass
and fade away like the green herb.[b]
3 Put your trust in the Lord and do good,
that you may dwell in the land[c] and be secure.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will grant you what your heart[d] desires.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
place your trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause, like the noonday.[e]
7 Wait quietly for the Lord
and be patient until he comes.
Do not fret over the man who prospers
because of his evil schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn away from wrath;
do not fret—it does nothing but harm.
9 For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land.[f]
Kingdom of Judah after 721 B.C.
Chapter 18
Hezekiah.[a] 1 Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, the king of Judah began to reign during the third year of the reign of Hoshea, the son of Elah, the king of Israel. 2 He began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi, and she was the daughter of Zechariah.
3 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his father David had done. 4 He eliminated the high places and he broke down the pillars. He cut down the Asherah and he broke into pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to those days the Israelites had burned incense to it and they called it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so much that there was no one like him among all of the kings of Judah who followed him or who preceded him. 6 He held fast to the Lord, and he did not depart from following after him. He kept the commandments that the Lord had given to Moses. 7 The Lord was with him whenever he went forth and he prospered.
He rebelled against the king of Assyria and he refused to serve him. 8 He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from its watchtower to its fortified city.
28 The commander then stood and cried out in a loud voice in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you out of my hands. 30 Do not let Hezekiah convince you to trust in the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be delivered over into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make peace with me by paying tribute. Then, come out and eat from your own vines and from your own fig trees and drink water from your own cistern 32 until I take you away to a land which is like your own, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil and honey. Live, do not die.
“Do not listen to Hezekiah when he tries to convince you saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ 33 Have the gods of any of the nations delivered their land out of the hands of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Shepharvaim, Henah, and Ivvah? Did they rescue Samaria from out of my hands?
35 “Which of the gods from any of the nations has delivered their land from out of my hands? How could the Lord deliver Jerusalem out of my hands?”
36 But the people remained silent and they did not say a word to him, for the king had commanded them, “You are not to answer him.”
To Smyrna.[a] 8 “To the angel of the Church in Smyrna,[b] write:
“ ‘These are the words of the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life again:
9 “ ‘ “I know of your hardships and your poverty, but in reality you are rich. I am aware of the slander of those who claim to be Jews but are actually members of the synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be frightened when thinking about the sufferings that you will have to endure. The devil will throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will endure affliction for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 “ ‘ “Whoever has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches. Anyone who is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.” ’
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