Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord, a Provider and Deliverer.

A Psalm of David when he ^[a]feigned madness before ^[b]Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

Nehemiah’s Grief for the Exiles

1 The words of ^(A)Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in ^(B)the month Chislev, ^(C)in the twentieth year, while I was in ^(D)Susa the ^[a]capitol, ² that ^(E)Hanani, one of my brothers, and ^[b]some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. ³ They said to me, “The remnant there in the ^(F)province who survived the captivity are in great distress and ^(G)reproach, and ^(H)the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and ^(I)its gates are burned with fire.”

⁴ When I heard these words, ^(J)I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before ^(K)the God of heaven. ⁵ I said, “I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, ^(L)the great and awesome God, ^(M)who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, ^6 (N)let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, ^(O)confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; ^(P)I and my father’s house have sinned. ^7 (Q)We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances ^(R)which You commanded Your servant Moses. ⁸ Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘^(S)If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; ^9 (T)but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I ^(U)will gather them from there and will bring them ^(V)to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’ ^10 (W)They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. ¹¹ O Lord, I beseech You, ^(X)may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to ^[c]revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.”

Now I was the ^(Y)cupbearer to the king.

^11 (A)Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it ^(B)the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise ^(C)according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. ¹³ For ^(D)the one concerning whom ^(E)these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord ^[a]was ^(F)descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. ¹⁵ And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become such not on the basis of a law of ^[b](G)physical requirement, but according to the power of ^(H)an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is attested of Him,

¹⁸ For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment ^(J)because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for ^(K)the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better ^(L)hope, through which we ^(M)draw near to God. ²⁰ And inasmuch as it was not without an oath ²¹ (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

²² so much the more also Jesus has become the ^(Q)guarantee of ^(R)a better covenant.