Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Call to Worship and Obedience

God’s Covenant with David^(A)

17 Now ^(B)it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.”

² Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

³ But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ⁴ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall ^(C)not build Me a house to dwell in. ⁵ For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. ⁶ Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ ⁷ Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you ^(D)from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ^[a]ruler over My people Israel. ⁸ And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have ^[b]made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. ⁹ Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will ^(E)plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, ¹⁰ since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a ^[c]house. ¹¹ And it shall be, when your days are ^(F)fulfilled, when you must ^[d]go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your ^(G)seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. ^12 (H)He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. ^13 (I)I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, ^(J)as I took it from him who was before you. ¹⁴ And ^(K)I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁵ According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

The River of Life

22 And he showed me ^(A)a ^[a]pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. ^2 (B)In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was ^(C)the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were ^(D)for the healing of the nations. ³ And ^(E)there shall be no more curse, ^(F)but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His ^(G)servants shall serve Him. ^4 (H)They shall see His face, and ^(I)His name shall be on their foreheads. ^5 (J)There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor ^(K)light of the sun, for ^(L)the Lord God gives them light. ^(M)And they shall reign forever and ever.

The Time Is Near

⁶ Then he said to me, ^(N)“These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the ^[b]holy prophets ^(O)sent His angel to show His servants the things which must ^(P)shortly take place.

^7 (Q)“Behold, I am coming quickly! ^(R)Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

⁸ Now I, John, ^[c]saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, ^(S)I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

⁹ Then he said to me, ^(T)“See that you do not do that. ^[d]For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”