Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Call to Praise the Lord for His Righteousness.

A Psalm.

²⁰ Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the ^(A)twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, ²¹ “Speak to ^(B)Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to ^(C)shake the heavens and the earth. ²² I will ^(D)overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the ^(E)power of the kingdoms of the ^[a]nations; and I will ^(F)overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the ^(G)horses and their riders will go down, ^(H)everyone by the sword of another.’ ²³ ‘On that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a ^[b](I)signet ring, for ^(J)I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of hosts.

Walk According to His Commandments

^1 (A)The elder to the ^(B)chosen ^(C)lady and her children, whom I ^(D)love in truth; and not only I, but also all who ^(E)know the truth, ² for ^(F)the sake of the truth which abides ^(G)in us and will be ^(H)with us forever: ^3 (I)Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

^4 (J)I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. ⁵ Now I ask you, lady, ^(K)not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had ^(L)from the beginning, that we ^(M)love one another. ⁶ And ^(N)this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, ^(O)just as you have heard ^(P)from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

⁷ For ^(Q)many deceivers have ^(R)gone out into the world, those who ^(S)do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is ^(T)the deceiver and the ^(U)antichrist. ^8 (V)Watch yourselves, ^(W)that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. ^9 [a]Anyone who ^[b]goes too far and ^(X)does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, ^(Y)do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; ¹¹ for the one who gives him a greeting ^(Z)participates in his evil deeds.

^12 (AA)Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that ^[c]your ^(AB)joy may be made full.

¹³ The children of your ^(AC)chosen sister greet you.