Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. A wedding song to the tune of “Lilies.”
45 My heart is full of beautiful words
as I say my poem for the king.
My tongue is like the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men.
Your lips have been given the ability to speak gracious words.
God has blessed you forever.
6 Your throne is the very throne of God.
Your kingdom will last for ever and ever.
You will rule by treating everyone fairly.
7 You love what is right and hate what is evil.
So your God has placed you above your companions.
He has filled you with joy by pouring the sacred oil on your head.
8 Myrrh and aloes and cassia make all your robes smell good.
In palaces decorated with ivory
the music played on stringed instruments makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings are among the women you honor.
At your right hand is the royal bride dressed in gold from Ophir.
Hosea Brings His Wife Back to Himself
3 The Lord said to me, “Go. Show your love to your wife again. She is loved by another man. And she has committed adultery. But I want you to love her just as I love the people of Israel. They turn to other gods. And they love to offer raisin cakes to Baal and eat them. In spite of that, I love my people.”
2 So I bought Gomer for six ounces of silver and 430 pounds of barley. 3 Then I told her, “You must wait for me for a long time. You must not be a prostitute. You must not have sex with any man. And I will be faithful to you too.”
4 So the people of Israel will live for a long time without a king or prince. They won’t have sacrifices or sacred stones. They won’t have sacred linen aprons or statues of family gods. 5 After that, the people of Israel will return to the Lord their God. They will look to him and to a king from the family line of David. In the last days, they will tremble with fear as they come to the Lord. And they will receive his full blessing.
Jesus Is Brought to Pilate
28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning. The Jewish leaders did not want to be made “unclean.” They wanted to be able to eat the Passover meal. So they did not enter the palace. 29 Pilate came out to them. He asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”
30 “He has committed crimes,” they replied. “If he hadn’t, we would not have handed him over to you.”
31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves. Judge him by your own law.”
“But we don’t have the right to put anyone to death,” they complained. 32 This happened so that what Jesus said about how he was going to die would come true.
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