Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Morning Prayer of Trust in God.

A Psalm of David, when ^[a]he fled from Absalom his son.

¹⁹ Thus ^(A)Samuel grew and ^(B)the Lord was with him and ^(C)let none of his words ^[a]fail. ²⁰ All Israel ^(D)from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. ²¹ And ^(E)the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, ^(F)because the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

Philistines Take the Ark in Victory

4 Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped beside ^(G)Ebenezer while the Philistines camped in ^(H)Aphek. ² The Philistines drew up in battle array to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was ^[b]defeated before the Philistines who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield.

Christ or Judgment

²⁶ For if we go on ^(A)sinning willfully after receiving ^(B)the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of ^(C)judgment and ^(D)the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. ^28 (E)Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ^29 (F)How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve ^(G)who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean ^(H)the blood of the covenant ^(I)by which he was sanctified, and has ^(J)insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, “^(K)Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “^(L)The Lord will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a ^(M)terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the ^(N)living God.