Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 37[a]
The Fate of Sinners and the Reward of the Just
1 Of David.
Aleph
Do not be provoked by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.(A)
2 Like grass they wither quickly;
like green plants they wilt away.(B)
Beth
3 Trust in the Lord and do good
that you may dwell in the land[b] and live secure.(C)
4 Find your delight in the Lord
who will give you your heart’s desire.(D)
Gimel
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will act(E)
6 And make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like noonday.(F)
Daleth
7 Be still before the Lord;
wait for him.
Do not be provoked by the prosperous,
nor by malicious schemers.
He
8 Refrain from anger; abandon wrath;
do not be provoked; it brings only harm.
9 Those who do evil will be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the earth.(G)
XI. The End of Judah[a]
Chapter 18
Reign of Hezekiah. 1 In the third year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi, daughter of Zechariah.
3 He did what was right in the Lord’s sight, just as David his father had done. 4 It was he who removed the high places, shattered the pillars, cut down the asherah,[b] and smashed the bronze serpent Moses had made, because up to that time the Israelites were burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)(A) 5 He put his trust in the Lord, the God of Israel; and neither before nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah. 6 Hezekiah held fast to the Lord and never turned away from following him, but observed the commandments the Lord had given Moses. 7 The Lord was with him, and he succeeded in all he set out to do. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 It was he who struck the Philistines as far as Gaza, and all its territory from guard post to garrisoned town.
28 Then the commander stepped forward and cried out in a loud voice in the language of Judah, “Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. 29 Thus says the king: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he cannot rescue you from my hand. 30 And do not let Hezekiah induce you to trust in the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord will surely rescue us, and this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make peace with me, and surrender to me! Eat, each of you, from your vine, each from your own fig tree. Drink water, each from your own well, 32 until I arrive and take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of rich olives and honey. Live, and do not die! And do not listen to Hezekiah when he would incite you by saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us.’ 33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did they indeed rescue Samaria from my power?[a] 35 Which of the gods for all these lands ever rescued his land from my power? Will the Lord then rescue Jerusalem from my power?” 36 But the people remained silent and did not answer at all, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.”
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna,[a] write this:
“‘The first and the last, who once died but came to life, says this: 9 “I know your tribulation and poverty, but you are rich.[b] I know the slander of those who claim to be Jews and are not, but rather are members of the assembly of Satan.(A) 10 Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 “‘“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.(B) The victor shall not be harmed by the second death.”’[c]
To Pergamum.[d]
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.