Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

With God We Do Valiantly

Psalm 108

³ Then Samuel spoke to the whole house of Israel saying, “If you are returning to Adonai with all your heart, then remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, direct your hearts to Adonai and serve Him only. Then He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴ So Bnei-Yisrael removed the Baalim^[a] and the Ashtaroth, and served Adonai alone.

⁵ Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to Adonai for you.” ⁶ So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water and poured it out before Adonai. They fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against Adonai.” Then Samuel was judging Bnei-Yisrael at Mizpah.

⁷ Now when the Philistines heard that Bnei-Yisrael had assembled at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines marched against Israel. When Bnei-Yisrael heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸ So Bnei-Yisrael said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to Adonai our God for us, so He may save us from the hand of the Philistines!”

⁹ Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to Adonai. Then Samuel cried out to Adonai for Israel and Adonai answered him. ¹⁰ As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But Adonai thundered with loud thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them so that they were defeated before Israel. ¹¹ Then the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down all the way to below Beth-car.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named Eben-ezer^[b] saying, “Thus far Adonai has helped us.” ¹³ So the Philistines were subdued and they did not invade the border of Israel anymore. The hand of Adonai was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴ The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel, from Ekron to Gath, were restored to Israel, and Israel recovered its territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵ Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

The First Resurrection

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a great chain. ² He seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and satan—and bound him for a thousand years. ^{[a] 3} He also threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed. After these things, he must be released for a short while.

⁴ Then I saw thrones, and people sat upon them—those to whom authority to judge was given.^[b] And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Yeshua and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image, nor had they received his mark on their forehead or on their hand. And they came to life^[c] and reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years.

⁵ The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ How fortunate and holy is the one who has a share in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no authority, but they shall be kohanim of God and the Messiah, and they shall reign with Him for a thousand years.