Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
ש Sin and Shin
161 Rulers persecute me(A) without cause,
but my heart trembles(B) at your word.
162 I rejoice(C) in your promise
like one who finds great spoil.(D)
163 I hate and detest(E) falsehood
but I love your law.(F)
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous laws.(G)
165 Great peace(H) have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.(I)
166 I wait for your salvation,(J) Lord,
and I follow your commands.
167 I obey your statutes,
for I love them(K) greatly.
168 I obey your precepts(L) and your statutes,(M)
for all my ways are known(N) to you.
17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’(A) Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood,(B) dogs(C) will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”
20 Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”(D)
“I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold(E) yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 21 He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male(F) in Israel—slave or free.[a](G) 22 I will make your house(H) like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’(I)
23 “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs(J) will devour Jezebel by the wall of[b] Jezreel.’
24 “Dogs(K) will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds(L) will feed on those who die in the country.”
25 (There was never(M) anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites(N) the Lord drove out before Israel.)
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth(O) and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.(P)
28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled(Q) himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day,(R) but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”(S)
On Denying the Incarnation
4 Dear friends,(A) do not believe every spirit,(B) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.(C) 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(D) is from God,(E) 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,(F) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.(G)
4 You, dear children,(H) are from God and have overcome them,(I) because the one who is in you(J) is greater than the one who is in the world.(K) 5 They are from the world(L) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.(M) This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth(N) and the spirit of falsehood.(O)
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