Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Teth
65 You have treated Your servant well,
Lord, according to Your word.
66 Teach me good [a](A)discernment and knowledge,
For I believe in Your commandments.
67 (B)Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68 You are (C)good and You (D)do good;
(E)Teach me Your statutes.
69 The arrogant [b]have (F)forged a lie against me;
With all my heart I will (G)comply with Your precepts.
70 Their heart is (H)insensitive, like fat,
But I (I)delight in Your Law.
71 It is (J)good for me that I was afflicted,
So that I may learn Your statutes.
72 The (K)Law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Shishak of Egypt Invades Judah
12 (A)When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, (B)he and all Israel with him abandoned the Law of the Lord. 2 (C)And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, that (D)Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem 3 with 1,200 chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were innumerable: (E)the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. 4 And he captured (F)the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5 Then (G)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘(H)You have abandoned Me, so I also have abandoned you [a]to Shishak.’” 6 So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The (I)Lord is righteous.”
7 When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “(J)They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them; and I will grant them a little deliverance, and (K)My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. 8 But they will become his slaves, so (L)that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”
Plunder Impoverishes Judah
9 (M)So Shishak king of Egypt went up against Jerusalem, and he took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; (N)he even took the gold shields which Solomon had made. 10 Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the [b]care of the commanders of the [c]guards who guarded the entrance of the king’s house. 11 As often as the king entered the house of the Lord, the [d]guards came and carried them and then brought them back into the [e]guards’ room. 12 And (O)when he humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and conditions (P)were also good in Judah.
7 Remember (A)those who led you, who spoke (B)the word of God to you; and considering the [a]result of their way of life, (C)imitate their faith. 8 (D)Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever. 9 (E)Do not be misled by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to (F)be strengthened by grace, not by (G)foods, (H)through which those who [b]were so occupied were not benefited. 10 We have an altar (I)from which those (J)who serve the [c]tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For (K)the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also suffered (L)outside the gate, (M)that He might sanctify the people (N)through His own blood. 13 So then, let us go out to Him outside the camp, (O)bearing His reproach. 14 For here (P)we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking (Q)the city which is to come.
God-pleasing Sacrifices
15 (R)Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a (S)sacrifice of praise to God, that is, (T)the fruit of lips praising His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and (U)sharing, for (V)with such sacrifices God is pleased.
17 (W)Obey your leaders and submit to them—for (X)they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they may do this with joy, not [d]groaning; for this would be unhelpful for you.
18 (Y)Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a (Z)good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. 19 And I urge you all the more to do this, (AA)so that I may be restored to you more quickly.
Benediction
20 Now may (AB)the God of peace, who (AC)brought up from the dead the (AD)great Shepherd of the sheep [e]through (AE)the blood of the (AF)eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, 21 (AG)equip you in every good thing to do His will, (AH)working in us that (AI)which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, (AJ)to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
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