Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 34
The Lord Delivers the Righteous
Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech,[a](A) who drove him out, and he departed.
1 I[b] will praise the Lord at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.(B)
2 I will boast in the Lord;(C)
the humble will hear and be glad.(D)
3 Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me;(E)
let us exalt His name together.(F)
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.(G)
5 Those who look to Him are[c] radiant with joy;(H)
their faces will never be ashamed.(I)
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.(J)
7 The Angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear Him, and rescues them.(K)
19 Many adversities come to the one who is righteous,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.(A)
20 He protects all his bones;
not one of them is broken.(B)
21 Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.(C)
22 The Lord redeems the life of His servants,
and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished.(D)
1 The words of Nehemiah(A) son of Hacaliah:
News from Jerusalem
During the month of Chislev[a](B) in the twentieth year,[b](C) when I was in the fortress city of Susa,(D) 2 Hanani,(E) one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant(F) that had survived the exile.(G) 3 They said to me, “The remnant in the province,(H) who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down.”(I)
Nehemiah’s Prayer
4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying(J) before the God of heaven.(K) 5 I said,(L)
Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him(M) and keep His commands,(N) 6 let Your eyes be open and Your ears be attentive(O) to hear Your servant’s prayer that I now pray to You day and night(P) for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins[c] we have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.(Q) 7 We have acted corruptly toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances You gave Your servant Moses.(R) 8 Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples.(S) 9 But if you return to Me and carefully observe My commands, even though your exiles were banished to the ends of the earth,[d] I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have My name dwell.”(T) 10 They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and strong hand.(U) 11 Please, Lord, let Your ear be attentive(V) to the prayer of Your servant and to that of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success today,(W) and have compassion on him in the presence of this man.[e](X)
At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.(Y)
A Superior Priesthood
11 If then, perfection came through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law(A)), what further need was there for another priest to appear, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron?(B) 12 For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must be a change of law as well. 13 For the One these things are spoken about belonged to a different tribe. No one from it has served at the altar. 14 Now it is evident that our Lord came from Judah,(C) and Moses said nothing about that tribe concerning priests.
15 And this becomes clearer if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 who did not become a priest based on a legal command concerning physical[a] descent but based on the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it has been testified:
18 So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable(E) 19 (for the law perfected(F) nothing), but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.(G)
20 None of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath, 21 but He became a priest with an oath made by the One who said to Him:
22 So Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.(I)
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