Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 54^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[b] of David. When the Ziphites^(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

⁵ The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege^(A) to it for three years. ⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria^(B) captured Samaria^(C) and deported^(D) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan^(E) on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

⁷ All this took place because the Israelites had sinned^(F) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt^(G) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods ⁸ and followed the practices of the nations^(H) the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. ⁹ The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city^(I) they built themselves high places in all their towns. ¹⁰ They set up sacred stones^(J) and Asherah poles^(K) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.^{(L) 11} At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. ¹² They worshiped idols,^(M) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”^{[a] 13} The Lord warned^(N) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:^(O) “Turn from your evil ways.^(P) Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”^(Q)

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked^(R) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant^(S) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols^(T) and themselves became worthless.^(U) They imitated the nations^(V) around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

¹⁶ They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves,^(W) and an Asherah^(X) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,^(Y) and they worshiped Baal.^{(Z) 17} They sacrificed^(AA) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens^(AB) and sold^(AC) themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

¹⁸ So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.^(AD) Only the tribe of Judah was left,

²⁹ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets^(A) and decorate the graves of the righteous. ³⁰ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.^{(B) 32} Go ahead, then, and complete^(C) what your ancestors started!^(D)

³³ “You snakes! You brood of vipers!^(E) How will you escape being condemned to hell?^{(F) 34} Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify;^(G) others you will flog in your synagogues^(H) and pursue from town to town.^{(I) 35} And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel^(J) to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,^(K) whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.^{(L) 36} Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.^(M)

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,^(N) how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,^(O) and you were not willing. ³⁸ Look, your house is left to you desolate.^{(P) 39} For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[a]”^(Q)