Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 46
God Our Refuge
For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.[a](A)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble.(B)
2 Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,(C)
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with its turmoil.(D)
4 There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.(E)
5 God is within her; she will not be toppled.
God will help her when the morning dawns.(F)
6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.(G)
7 The Lord of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(H)
8 Come, see the works of the Lord,
who brings devastation on the earth.(I)
9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth.
He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;
He burns up the chariots.[b](J)
10 “Stop your fighting—and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”(K)
11 Yahweh of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(L)
Micaiah’s Message of Defeat
12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah instructed him, “Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
13 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, I will say whatever my God says.”[a](A)
14 So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should I[b] refrain?”
Micaiah said, “March up and succeed, for they will be handed over to you.”
15 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of Yahweh?”
16 So Micaiah said:
I saw all Israel scattered on the hills
like sheep without a shepherd.(B)
And the Lord said,
“They have no master;
let each return home in peace.”
17 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”
18 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and the whole heavenly host was standing at His right hand and at His left hand.(C) 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ So one was saying this and another was saying that.
20 “Then(D) a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
“The Lord asked him, ‘How?’
21 “So he said, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’
“Then He said, ‘You will entice him and also prevail. Go and do that.’
22 “Now, you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of[c] these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.”
23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves to be purified with better sacrifices than these.(A) 24 For the Messiah did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model[a] of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that He might now appear in the presence of God for us.(B) 25 He did not do this to offer Himself many times, as the high priest enters the sanctuary yearly with the blood of another.(C) 26 Otherwise, He would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared one time, at the end of the ages,(D) for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself.(E) 27 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment(F)— 28 so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,(G) will appear a second time,(H) not to bear sin, but[b] to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.(I)
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