Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Those Who Trust in God Are Happy

34 I will honor the Lord at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth. ² My soul will be proud to tell about the Lord. Let those who suffer hear it and be filled with joy. ³ Give great honor to the Lord with me. Let us praise His name together.

⁴ I looked for the Lord, and He answered me. And He took away all my fears. ⁵ They looked to Him and their faces shined with joy. Their faces will never be ashamed. ⁶ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him. And He saved him out of all his troubles. ⁷ The angel of the Lord stays close around those who fear Him, and He takes them out of trouble.

⁸ O taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who trusts in Him!

¹⁹ A man who does what is right and good may have many troubles. But the Lord takes him out of them all. ²⁰ He keeps all his bones safe. Not one of them is broken. ²¹ Sin will kill the sinful. And those who hate God’s people will be held guilty and punished forever. ²² The Lord saves the soul of those who work for Him. None of those who trust in Him will be held guilty.

Nehemiah Prays for His People

1 These are the words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in the king’s house in Susa, ² Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came. I asked them about the Jews who were still living and had gotten away from Babylon, and about Jerusalem. ³ They said to me, “The Jews who are left who have returned to the land from Babylon are in much trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

⁴ When I heard this, I sat down and cried and was filled with sorrow for days. I did not eat, and I prayed to the God of heaven. ⁵ I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great God Who is honored with fear, Who keeps the agreement and loving-kindness for those who love Him and keep His Laws, ⁶ listen to me and let Your eyes be open. Hear the prayer of Your servant which I now pray to You day and night for the sons of Israel Your servants, telling the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You. I and my father’s house have sinned. ⁷ We have sinned in our actions against You. We have not kept the Laws which You gave to Your servant Moses. ⁸ Remember what You told Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are not faithful, I will make you go different places in other nations. ⁹ But if you return to Me and keep My Laws and obey them, I will gather you and bring you to the place where I have chosen for My name to be. I will do this even if you have been spread out to the farthest part of the heavens.’ ¹⁰ They are Your servants and Your people whom You have made free by Your great power and strong hand. ¹¹ O Lord, hear the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who are happy to fear Your name. Make Your servant do well today, and give him loving-pity in front of this man.”

Now I was the one who carried the cup for the king.

¹¹ The Law was given during the time when Levi and his sons were the religious leaders. If the work of those religious leaders had been perfect in taking away the sins of the people, there would have been no need for another religious leader. But one like Melchizedek was needed and not one from the family group of Aaron. ¹² For when the family group of religious leaders changed, the Law had to be changed also. ¹³ These things speak of Christ Who is from another family group. That family group never had a religious leader who killed animals and gave gifts at the altar for the sins of the people. ¹⁴ Our Lord came from the family group of Judah. Moses did not write anything about religious leaders coming from that family group.

A Different Religious Leader Has Come

¹⁵ We can see that a different Religious Leader has come. This One is like Melchizedek. ¹⁶ Christ did not become a Religious Leader by coming from the family group of Levi as the Law said had to be. He became the Religious Leader by the power of a life that never ends. ¹⁷ The Holy Writings say this about Christ, “You are a Religious Leader forever like Melchizedek.” ^(A)

¹⁸ God put the Law of Moses aside. It was weak and could not be used. ¹⁹ For the Law of Moses could not make men right with God. Now there is a better hope through which we can come near to God.

²⁰ God made a promise when Christ became the Religious Leader Who made the way for man to go to God. ²¹ God did not make such a promise when Levi’s family group became religious leaders. But when Christ became a Religious Leader, this is the promise God made, “The Lord has made a promise. He will never change His mind. You will be a Religious Leader forever.” ^{(B) 22} Christ makes this New Way of Worship sure for us because of God’s promise.