Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 5
With You the Wicked Cannot Dwell
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For the choir director. For flutes. A psalm by David.
Access in Prayer
1 Turn your ear to my words, O Lord.
Understand me when I sigh.
2 Pay attention to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I lay out my requests in front of you,
and I watch for your answer.
No Access
4 For you are not a God who takes pleasure in evil.
With you the wicked cannot dwell.
5 The arrogant cannot stand before your eyes.
You hate all evildoers.
6 You put to death those who speak lies.
The Lord is disgusted with bloodthirsty, deceitful men.
Access in Prayer
7 But as for me, by your great mercy
I will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
with reverence for you.
8 Lord, lead me in your righteousness.
Because of those who slander me,
make your way straight before me.
Ben Hadad Lays Siege to Samaria
20 Then Ben Hadad king of Aram, along with thirty-two kings, mobilized his whole army with their horses and chariots. He went up and laid siege to Samaria and fought against it. 2 He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel in the city, 3 who said to him, “This is what Ben Hadad says. Your silver and your gold are mine. The best of your wives and your children are mine.”
4 The king of Israel answered, “Just as you have said, my lord the king, I and all that I own are yours.”
5 The messengers came a second time and said, “This is what Ben Hadad says. I did indeed send word to you, saying, ‘You must give me your silver and your gold and your wives and your children.’ 6 So at this time tomorrow, I will send my servants to you, and they will search your palace and the houses of your officials, and they will gather up everything that you value and take it away.”
7 The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land. “See how this man is looking for trouble. When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.”
8 All the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen and do not agree to this!”
9 So he told Ben Hadad’s messengers, “Say this to your lord the king. Everything which you demanded of your servant the first time, I will do, but this thing I cannot do.” So the messengers brought his message back to the king.
10 Then Ben Hadad sent word to him: “May the gods punish me severely and even double it, if the dust left from Samaria will be enough to give a handful to each of those who follow me.”
11 The king of Israel answered, “Tell him that someone who is putting his armor on should not boast like someone who is taking it off.”
12 When he heard this message, Ben Hadad and his kings were in their tents drinking. He said to his servants, “Get ready!” and they took up positions against the city.
13 But then, at that time, a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says. Do you see all of this huge horde?[a] Look, I am giving it into your hands today. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
14 Then Ahab said, “Through whom will this happen?”
The prophet answered, “This is what the Lord says. It will be through the young officers from the provinces.”
He said, “Who will start the battle?”
He said, “You will.”
15 So Ahab inspected the young officers from the provinces and found that there were two hundred thirty-two. After inspecting them he inspected the whole army. The Israelites numbered seven thousand men. 16 They marched out at noon while Ben Hadad was getting drunk in his tent, along with the thirty-two kings who were supporting him. 17 So the young officers from the provinces marched out first. Ben Hadad sent out scouts, who told him, “Men are marching out of Samaria!”
18 Ben Hadad said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive! Even if they have come out for war, take them alive!” 19 But when the young officers from the provinces and the army that was with them marched out, 20 each of them killed his opponent. Then the Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad king of Aram fled on a horse with his charioteers.[b]
21 The king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots. He inflicted a great defeat on Aram.
Ben Hadad Attacks Aphek
22 Afterward the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Strengthen your position and consider carefully what you should do, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you.”
Do Not Love the World
4 Where do conflicts and quarrels among you come from? Don’t they come from your cravings for pleasure, which are at war in the parts of your body? 2 You want something but do not get it, so you murder. You desire something but cannot obtain it, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask, and yet do not receive, because you ask wrongly, so that you may spend it on what gives you pleasure.
4 Adulterers,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or, do you think that Scripture has no reason for saying that the Spirit, who lives in us,[b] yearns jealously?[c] 6 But he gives greater grace! That is why it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.”[d]
7 So, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.