Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Promise to Act with Integrity

Of David. A psalm.^[a]

⁹ It happened in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, that is, the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came against Samaria and laid siege against her. ¹⁰ At the end of three years, he captured it in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel; Samaria was captured. ¹¹ Then the king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Habor, in the river regions of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, ¹² because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh their God, and they transgressed his covenant; all that he had commanded Moses, the servant of Yahweh, they did not listen to nor did they obey.

Sennacherib of Assyria Invades Judah

¹³ In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all of the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. ¹⁴ So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me. What you impose on me I will bear.” So the king of Assyria imposed on Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. ¹⁵ Then Hezekiah gave all of the silver found in the temple of Yahweh and in the storerooms of the house of the king. ¹⁶ At that time, Hezekiah cut off the doors of the temple of Yahweh and the doorposts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and he gave them to the king of Assyria. ¹⁷ So the king of Assyria sent the commander in chief, the chief eunuch, and the chief advisor^[a] from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem with a heavy army. They went up and came to Jerusalem, then they went up and came and stood at the aqueduct of the upper pool which is on the main road of the washer’s^[b] field. ¹⁸ Then they called to the king, so Eliakim the son of Hilkiah who was over the palace, Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, came out to them.

The Good Servant of Christ

⁶ By^[a] teaching these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, trained in the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed faithfully. ⁷ But reject those worthless myths told by elderly women^[b], and train yourself for godliness. ⁸ For the training of the body is somewhat^[c] profitable, but godliness is profitable for everything, because it^[d] holds promise for the present life and for the life to come. ⁹ The statement is trustworthy and deserving of complete acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we labor and suffer reproach,^[e] because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.

¹¹ Command these things and teach them. ¹² Let no one look down on your youth, but be an example for the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I come, pay attention to the public reading,^[f] to exhortation, to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift that is in you, that was granted to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. ¹⁵ Practice these things. Be diligent^[g] in these things, in order that your progress may be evident to everyone. ¹⁶ Fix your attention on yourself and on your teaching. Continue in them, for by^[h] doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.