Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
34 I will always give thanks to the LORD. His praise shall be in my mouth continually.
2 My soul shall glory in the LORD. The humble shall hear it and be glad.
3 Praise the LORD with me; and let us magnify His Name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me. Indeed, He delivered me out of all my fear.
5 They shall look to Him and run; and their faces shall not be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried; and the LORD heard and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The Angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them.
8 Taste and see how gracious the LORD is. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.
19 Great are the troubles of the righteous. But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all His bones. Not one of them is broken.
21 Malice shall slay the wicked; and those who hate the righteous shall perish.
22 The LORD redeems the souls of His servants; and no one who trusts in Him shall perish. A Psalm of David.
1 The words of Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah: In the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in the palace of Shushan,
2 Hanani (one of my brethren) came, he and the men of Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who remained of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said to me, “The remnant of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. And the wall of Jerusalem is broken down. And its gates are burnt with fire.”
4 And when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for some days. And I fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven,
5 and said, “O LORD God of Heaven, the great and terrible God, Who keeps Covenant and mercy for those who love Him and observe His Commandments,
6 “I pray, let Your Ears be attentive, and Your Eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant which I pray before You daily, day and night, for the children of Israel, Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both I and my father’s House have sinned.
7 “We have grievously sinned against You, and have not kept the Commandments, or the Statutes, or the Judgments, which You commanded Your servant Moses.
8 “I pray, remember the Word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘You will transgress. And I will scatter you among the nations.
9 ‘But if you return to Me, and keep My Commandments, and do them, though your scattering were to the uttermost part of the heaven, I will still gather you from there and will bring you to the place that I have chosen to place My Name.’
10 “Now these are Your servants and Your people whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your mighty Hand.
11 “O LORD, I pray, let Your Ear now listen to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your Name. And I pray, make Your servant prosper this day, and give him favor in the presence of this man. For I was the king’s butler.”
11 Therefore, if perfection had been by the priesthood of the Levites (for under it the people received the Law) what further need was there for another priest to rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not to be called after the order of Aaron?
12 For if the priesthood is changed, then the Law must be changed.
13 For He of Whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man served at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord sprung out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing regarding the priesthood.
15 And it is even more evident because there has risen up another priest in the likeness of Melchizedek,
16 Who is made priest not after the Law of carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17 For He testifies, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
18 For indeed the preceding commandment is annulled because of its weakness and uselessness.
19 For the Law made nothing perfect, but rather the introduction of a better hope (by which we draw near to God).
20 And inasmuch as it is not without an oath (for these priests are made without an oath,
21 but this One was made with an oath by Him Who said to Him, “The Lord has sworn, and will not repent. You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”)
22 By so much has Jesus made a surety of a better Testament.
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