Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer for Protection from the Wicked.

For the music 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; for that reason they were stronger than we. But let us fight them in the plain, and we will certainly be stronger than they. ²⁴ Carry out this ^[a]plan: remove the kings, each from his place, and put governors in their place, ²⁵ and ^[b]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 we will certainly be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so.

Another Aramean War

²⁶ So ^(B)at ^[c]the turn of the year Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to ^(C)Aphek to fight against Israel. ²⁷ And the sons of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped opposite them like two little flocks of goats, ^(D)while the Arameans filled the country. ²⁸ Then ^(E)a man of God approached and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Since the Arameans have said, “^(F)The Lord is a god of mountains, but He is not a god of valleys,” therefore ^(G)I will hand over to you all this great multitude, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’” ²⁹ So they camped, one opposite the other, for seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the sons of Israel ^[d]killed of the Arameans a hundred thousand foot soldiers in a single day. ³⁰ But the rest fled to ^(H)Aphek into the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city, going from one ^(I)inner room to another.

³¹ But ^(J)his servants said to him, “Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let’s ^(K)put sackcloth ^[e]around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will let ^[f]you live.” ³² So ^(L)they put sackcloth ^[g]around their waists and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “^(M)Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let ^[h]me live.’” And Ahab said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” ³³ Now the men took this as a good omen, and quickly ^[i]accepting it from him, they said, “Your brother Ben-hadad.” Then he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he had him mount the chariot. ³⁴ And Ben-hadad said to him, “^(N)The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you can 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 Has Not Been Rejected

11 I say then, God has not ^(A)rejected His people, has He? ^[a](B)Far from it! For ^(C)I too am an Israelite, ^[b]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 ^[c]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 ^[d]gracious choice. ⁶ But ^(J)if it is by grace, it is no longer ^[e]on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.

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

⁹ And David says,