Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 37
Instruction in Wisdom
Of David.
1 Do not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.(A)
2 For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.(B)
3 Trust in the Lord and do what is good;(C)
dwell in the land and live securely.[a](D)
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.(E)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act,(F)
6 making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday.(G)
Sennacherib’s Departing Threat
8 When(A) the royal spokesman heard that the king of Assyria had pulled out of Lachish,(B) he left and found him fighting against Libnah.(C) 9 The king had heard concerning King Tirhakah of Cush, “Look, he has set out to fight against you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Say this to King Hezekiah of Judah: ‘Don’t let your God, on whom you rely,(D) deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.(E) 11 Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries: They completely destroyed them. Will you be rescued? 12 Did the gods of the nations(F) that my predecessors destroyed rescue them—nations such as Gozan,(G) Haran,(H) Rezeph, and the Edenites(I) in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of[a] Sepharvaim, Hena, or Ivvah?’” (J)
Hezekiah’s Prayer
14 Hezekiah took(K) the letter(L) from the messengers’ hands, read it, then went up to the Lord’s temple, and spread it out before the Lord.(M) 15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord:
Lord God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,(N) you are God—you alone—of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.(O) 16 Listen closely, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see.(P) Hear the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God.(Q) 17 Lord, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands.(R) 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but made by human hands—wood and stone.(S) So they have destroyed them. 19 Now, Lord our God, please save us from his power so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are God—you alone.(T)
God’s Answer through Isaiah
20 Then(U) Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “The Lord, the God of Israel says, ‘I have heard your prayer(V) to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria.’(W)
Defeat and Death of Sennacherib
35 That night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!(A) 36 So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and left. He returned home and lived in Nineveh.(B)
37 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech(C) and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat.(D) Then his son Esar-haddon(E) became king in his place.
The Letter to Pergamum
12 “Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: Thus says the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword: (A) 13 I know[a] where you live—where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding on to my name and did not deny your faith in me,[b](B) even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness(C) who was put to death among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam,(D) who taught Balak to place a stumbling block[c] in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols(E) and to commit sexual immorality.(F) 15 In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.[d] 16 So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly(G) and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.(H)
17 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna.[e](I) I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name(J) is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.
The Letter to Thyatira
18 “Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God,(K) the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze:(L) 19 I know your works—your love, faithfulness,[f] service, and endurance.(M) I know that your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel,(N) who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.(O) 21 I gave her time to repent,(P) but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.(Q) 22 Look, I will throw her into a sickbed(R) and those who commit adultery with her(S) into great affliction.(T) Unless they repent of her[g] works, 23 I will strike her children dead.[h](U) Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts,(V) and I will give to each of you according to your works.(W) 24 I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known “the so-called secrets[i](X) of Satan”(Y) —as they say—I am not putting any other burden on you.(Z) 25 Only hold on to what you have until I come.(AA) 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations—
28 just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.(AD)
29 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
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