Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer for Protection from the Wicked.

For the choir director; for ^[a]flute accompaniment. A Psalm of David.

²³ Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “^(A)Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore they were stronger than we; but rather let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they. ²⁴ Do this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put captains in their place, ²⁵ and ^[a]muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so.

Another Aramean War

^26 (B)At the turn of the year, Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to ^(C)Aphek to fight against Israel. ²⁷ The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, ^(D)but the Arameans filled the country. ²⁸ Then ^(E)a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because the Arameans have said, “^(F)The Lord is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys,” therefore ^(G)I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’” ²⁹ So they camped one over against the other seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the sons of Israel ^[b]killed of the Arameans 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. ³⁰ But the rest fled to ^(H)Aphek into the city, and the wall fell on 27,000 men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city ^(I)into an inner chamber.

^31 (J)His servants said to him, “Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings, please let us ^(K)put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will save your ^[c]life.” ³² So ^(L)they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “^(M)Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” ³³ Now the men ^[d]took this as an omen, and quickly ^[e]catching his word said, “Your brother Ben-hadad.” Then he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he ^[f]took him up into the chariot. ³⁴ Ben-hadad said to him, “^(N)The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” Ahab said, “And I will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

Israel Is Not Cast Away

11 I say then, God has not ^(A)rejected His people, has He? ^(B)May it never be! For ^(C)I too am an Israelite, ^[a]a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God ^(D)has not rejected His people whom He ^(E)foreknew. ^(F)Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ³ “Lord, ^(G)they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” ⁴ But what ^[b]is the divine response to him? “^(H)I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time ^(I)a remnant according to God’s ^[c]gracious choice. ⁶ But ^(J)if it is by grace, it is no longer ^[d]on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

⁷ What then? What ^(K)Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but ^[e]those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were ^(L)hardened; ⁸ just as it is written,

⁹ And David says,