Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Majesty of the Lord

¹⁶ ·Other people from the tribes [^LSome of the sons] of Benjamin and Judah also came to David at his stronghold. ¹⁷ David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come peacefully to help me, ·I welcome you. Join me. […I am your friend; or we will make an alliance; ^Lmy heart will be united with you]. But if you have come to ·turn me over to my enemies [betray me to my adversaries], even though I have ·done nothing wrong [^Lno violence in my hands], the God of our ·ancestors [^Lfathers] will see this and ·punish you [^Ljudge/decide].”

¹⁸ Then the Spirit ·entered [came upon; ^Lclothed] Amasai, the ·leader [chief] of the Thirty, and he said:

So David ·welcomed [received] these men and made them ·leaders [captains] of his ·army [fighters; raiders].

¹⁹ Some of the men from Manasseh also ·joined [defected/deserted to] David when he went with the Philistines to fight Saul. But David and his men did not really help the Philistines. After ·talking about it [consultation], the Philistine leaders decided to send David away. They said, “If David ·goes [defects; deserts] back to his master Saul, ·we will be killed [^Lit will be our heads].” ²⁰ These are the men from Manasseh who ·joined [defected/deserted to] David when he went to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. Each of them was a ·leader [captain; chief] of a thousand men from Manasseh. ²¹ All these men of Manasseh were ·brave soldiers [^Lmighty men of valor], and they helped David fight against ·groups of men who went around the country robbing people [raiding bands]. These soldiers became ·commanders [captains] in David’s army. ²² Every day more men ·joined [came to help] David, and his army became ·large [great], like the army of God.

⁵ The One who was sitting on the throne [^CJesus] said, “Look! I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this, because these words are ·true and can be trusted [^Lfaithful/reliable and true].”

⁶ The One on the throne said to me, “It is ·finished [done; accomplished]. I am the Alpha and the Omega [^Cthe first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; 1:8], the Beginning and the End. I will give ·free water [^Lfreely] from the spring of the water of life to anyone who is thirsty [Is. 55:1; John 7:37]. ⁷ Those who ·win the victory [conquer] will ·receive [inherit] ·this [^Lthese things; ^CGod’s promise], and I will be their God, and they will be my children [21:3; 2 Sam. 7:14]. ⁸ But cowards, those ·who refuse to believe [without faith], who do ·evil [vile; detestable] things, who kill, who sin sexually, who do ·evil magic [sorcery], who worship idols, and who tell lies—all these will have ·a place [^Ltheir part] in the lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death [20:6].”

⁹ Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last ·troubles [plagues] came to me, saying, “·Come with me [^LCome], and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb [^Cthe church; Eph. 5:27–29].” ¹⁰ And the angel carried me away ·by the Spirit [or in the spirit] to a very large and high mountain. He showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. ¹¹ It ·was shining with [possessed; ^Lhad] the glory of God and was ·bright [radiant; brilliant] like a ·very expensive jewel [precious stone], like a jasper, clear as crystal. ¹² The city had a great high wall with twelve gates with twelve angels at the gates, and on each gate was written the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. ¹³ There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west [Ezek. 48:30–35]. ¹⁴ The walls of the city were built on twelve foundation stones, and on the stones were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.