Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 135^(A)

Idolatry in the Temple

8 In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders^(A) of Judah were sitting before^(B) me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there.^{(C) 2} I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man.^[a] From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal.^{(D) 3} He stretched out what looked like a hand^(E) and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up^(F) between earth and heaven and in visions^(G) of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court,^(H) where the idol that provokes to jealousy^(I) stood. ⁴ And there before me was the glory^(J) of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.^(K)

⁵ Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol^(L) of jealousy.

⁶ And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable^(M) things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary?^(N) But you will see things that are even more detestable.”

⁷ Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. ⁸ He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

⁹ And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” ¹⁰ So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls^(O) all kinds of crawling things and unclean^(P) animals and all the idols of Israel.^{(Q) 11} In front of them stood seventy elders^(R) of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer^(S) in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense^(T) was rising.^(U)

¹² He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness,^(V) each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see^(W) us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’” ¹³ Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”

¹⁴ Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz.^{(X) 15} He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”

¹⁶ He then brought me into the inner court^(Y) of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar,^(Z) were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun^(AA) in the east.^(AB)

¹⁷ He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things^(AC) they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence^(AD) and continually arouse my anger?^(AE) Look at them putting the branch to their nose! ¹⁸ Therefore I will deal with them in anger;^(AF) I will not look on them with pity^(AG) or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen^(AH) to them.”

Philip and the Ethiopian

²⁶ Now an angel^(A) of the Lord said to Philip,^(B) “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” ²⁷ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^[a](C) eunuch,^(D) an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,^{(E) 28} and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ The Spirit told^(F) Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

³⁰ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

³² This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” ³⁵ Then Philip began^(H) with that very passage of Scripture^(I) and told him the good news^(J) about Jesus.

³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”^{(K) [37] [c] 38} And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away,^(L) and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns^(M) until he reached Caesarea.^(N)