Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 54

For the Music Director. With stringed instruments. A Contemplative Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?”

²⁴ Then Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah walked up and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the spirit of the Lord go from me in order to speak to you?”

²⁵ And Micaiah said, “You will see in that day, when you go into an inner chamber to hide.”

²⁶ The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, ²⁷ and say, ‘Thus says the king: Put this man in the prison, and feed him with reduced rations of bread and water until I return safely.’ ”

²⁸ Micaiah said, “If you return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people!”

Ahab Dies in Battle^(A)

²⁹ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. ³⁰ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and enter into the battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.

³¹ But the king of Aram ordered his thirty-two commanders who had control over his chariots, saying, “Fight neither against small nor great, but only against the king of Israel.” ³² So when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel.” And they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. ³³ When the commanders of the chariots realized that it was not the king of Israel, they turned away from pursuing him.

³⁴ A certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor, and because of this, he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” ³⁵ The battle intensified that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot against the Arameans and died that evening, and the blood ran out of the wound into the floor of the chariot. ³⁶ A proclamation went throughout the army as the sun was setting, saying, “Every man is to return to his city, and every man is to return to his own country.”

³⁷ So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. ³⁸ The chariot was washed in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up the king’s blood, and they washed his armor according to the word which the Lord spoke.

³⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and the ivory house that he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ⁴⁰ So Ahab slept with his fathers. And Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

The Restoration of Israel

²⁵ For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, lest you be wise in your own estimation, for a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

²⁸ As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but as regarding the election, they are beloved for the sake of the patriarchs. ²⁹ For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you once were disobedient to God, but have now received mercy through their disobedience, ³¹ so these also have now been disobedient, that they also may receive mercy by the mercy shown to you. ³² For God has imprisoned them all in disobedience, so that He might be merciful to all.