Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 34[a]
Thanksgiving to God Who Delivers the Just
1 Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech,[b] who drove him out and he went away.
I
2 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall be always in my mouth.(A)
3 My soul will glory in the Lord;
let the poor hear and be glad.
4 Magnify the Lord with me;
and let us exalt his name together.
II
5 I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
delivered me from all my fears.
6 Look to him and be radiant,
and your faces may not blush for shame.
7 This poor one cried out and the Lord heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
8 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and he saves them.(B)
19 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,
saves those whose spirit is crushed.
20 Many are the troubles of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.
21 He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.(A)
22 Evil will slay the wicked;
those who hate the righteous are condemned.
I. The Deeds of Nehemiah
Chapter 1
Nehemiah Hears Bad News. 1 [a]The words of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah.
In the month Kislev of the twentieth year, I was in the citadel of Susa 2 when Hanani, one of my brothers, came with other men from Judah. I asked them about the Jews, the remnant preserved after the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3 They answered me: “The survivors of the captivity there in the province are in great distress and under reproach. The wall of Jerusalem has been breached, its gates gutted by fire.” 4 When I heard this report, I began to weep and continued mourning for several days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5 [b](A)I prayed: “Lord, God of heaven, great and awesome God, you preserve your covenant of mercy with those who love you and keep your commandments. 6 (B)May your ears be attentive, and your eyes open, to hear the prayer that I, your servant, now offer in your presence day and night for your servants the Israelites, confessing the sins we have committed against you, I and my ancestral house included. 7 (C)We have greatly offended you, not keeping the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances you entrusted to your servant Moses. 8 (D)But remember the admonition which you addressed to Moses, your servant, when you said: If you prove faithless, I will scatter you among the peoples; 9 but if you return to me and carefully keep my commandments, even though your outcasts have been driven to the farthest corner of the world, I will gather them from there, and bring them back to the place I have chosen as the dwelling place for my name. 10 (E)They are your servants, your people, whom you freed by your great might and strong hand. 11 (F)Lord, may your ears be attentive to the prayer of your servant and that of all your servants who willingly revere your name. Grant success to your servant this day, and let him find favor with this man”—for I was cupbearer to the king.[c]
11 [a]If, then, perfection came through the levitical priesthood, on the basis of which the people received the law, what need would there still have been for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not reckoned according to the order of Aaron?(A) 12 When there is a change of priesthood, there is necessarily a change of law as well. 13 Now he of whom these things are said[b] belonged to a different tribe, of which no member ever officiated at the altar. 14 It is clear that our Lord arose from Judah,[c] and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.(B) 15 [d]It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.[e] 17 For it is testified:
“You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”(C)
18 On the one hand, a former commandment is annulled because of its weakness and uselessness,(D) 19 for the law brought nothing to perfection; on the other hand, a better hope[f] is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 [g]And to the degree that this happened not without the taking of an oath[h]—for others became priests without an oath, 21 but he with an oath, through the one who said to him:
“The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:(E)
‘You are a priest forever’”—
22 (F)to that same degree has Jesus [also] become the guarantee of an [even] better covenant.[i]
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.