Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of ^(A)Asaph.

^26 (A)Jeroboam the son of Nebat, ^(B)an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, also ^(C)lifted up his hand against the king. ²⁷ And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king. ^(D)Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of David his father. ²⁸ The man Jeroboam was very able, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious he gave him charge over all the forced labour of the house of Joseph. ²⁹ And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet ^(E)Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of them were alone in the open country. ³⁰ Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, ^(F)and tore it into twelve pieces. ³¹ And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, ^(G)I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes ³² (but ^(H)he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, ^(I)the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), ³³ because they have^[a] forsaken me ^(J)and worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my rules, as David his father did. ³⁴ Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes. ^35 (K)But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it to you, ten tribes. ³⁶ Yet to his son ^(L)I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have ^(M)a lamp before me in Jerusalem, ^(N)the city where I have chosen to put my name. ³⁷ And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel. ³⁸ And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, ^(O)I will be with you and ^(P)will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. ³⁹ And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not for ever.’” ⁴⁰ Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to ^(Q)Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

Triumph in Christ

¹² When ^(A)I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though ^(B)a door was opened for me in the Lord, ¹³ my spirit ^(C)was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

¹⁴ But ^(D)thanks be to God, who in Christ always ^(E)leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads ^(F)the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God among ^(G)those who are being saved and among ^(H)those who are perishing, ^16 (I)to one a fragrance from death to death, ^(J)to the other a fragrance from life to life. ^(K)Who is sufficient^[a] for these things? ¹⁷ For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.