Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God Keeps His Own
40 I did not give up waiting for the Lord. And He turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up out of the hole of danger, out of the mud and clay. He set my feet on a rock, making my feet sure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and will put their trust in the Lord.
4 How happy is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud or to the followers of lies. 5 O Lord my God, many are the great works You have done, and Your thoughts toward us. No one can compare with You! If I were to speak and tell of them, there would be too many to number.
6 You have not wanted gifts given on the altar in worship. You have opened my ears. You have not wanted burnt gifts or gifts to cover sins. 7 Then I said, “Look, I have come. It is written about me in the book. 8 I am happy to do Your will, O my God. Your Law is within my heart.”
9 I have told the good news about what is right and good in the big meeting with many people. You know I will not close my lips, O Lord. 10 I have not hidden what is right and good with You in my heart. I have spoken about how faithful You are and about Your saving power. I have not hidden Your loving-kindness and Your truth from the big meeting.
11 O Lord, You will not keep Your loving-pity from me. Your loving-kindness and Your truth will always keep me safe.
Word about Shebna
15 The Lord God of All says, “Come, go to this person in Shebna who is taking care of the king’s house. Say to him, 16 ‘What right do you have here? Who told you that you could cut out a grave for yourself here? You cut out a grave on a high place! You cut a resting place for yourself in the rock! 17 See, the Lord will throw you away without pity, O you strong man. He will take a strong hold of you 18 and roll you up like a ball to be thrown into a wide land. There you will die, and there your great war-wagons will be. You are a shame to your king’s house.’ 19 I will throw you out of your place of power. I will take you down from your place. 20 In that day I will call My servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your coat, and tie your belt around him. I will give him the power you had. He will become a father to the people of Jerusalem and to the family of Judah. 22 Then I will put on his shoulder the rule of the family of David. What he opens, no one will shut. What he shuts, no one will open. 23 I will drive him like a nail in a hard place. He will become a throne of honor to his father’s house. 24 So they will put on him all the honor of his father’s house, and of his children, and every little dish, from the cups to all the jars. 25 “In that day,” says the Lord of All, “the nail driven in a hard place will give way. It will break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off. For the Lord has spoken.”
Men Must Not Change the Good News
6 I am surprised you are leaving Christ so soon. You were chosen through His loving-favor. But now you are turning and listening to another kind of good news. 7 No! There is not another kind of good news. There are some who would like to lead you in the wrong way. They want to change the Good News about Christ. 8 Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach another kind of good news to you that is not the one we preached, let him be cursed. 9 As we said before, I will say it again. If any man is preaching another good news to you which is not the one you have received, let him be cursed.
This Good News Is from God
10 Do you think I am trying to get the favor of men, or of God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant owned by Christ.
11 Christian brothers, I want you to know the Good News I preached to you was not made by man. 12 I did not receive it from man. No one taught it to me. I received it from Jesus Christ as He showed it to me.
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