Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord Has Chosen Zion

A Song of ^(A)Ascents.

Josiah Reigns in Judah

22 ^(A)Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of ^(B)Bozkath. ² And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, ^(C)and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

³ In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying, ⁴ “Go up to ^(D)Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money ^(E)that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which ^(F)the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. ^5 (G)And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house ⁶ (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. ⁷ But ^(H)no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

⁸ And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found ^(I)the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. ⁹ And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” ¹⁰ Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴ Now when they heard these things ^(A)they were enraged, and they ^(B)ground their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But he, ^(C)full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw ^(D)the glory of God, and Jesus standing ^(E)at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ And he said, “Behold, I see ^(F)the heavens opened, and ^(G)the Son of Man standing ^(H)at the right hand of God.” ⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together^[a] at him. ⁵⁸ Then ^(I)they cast him out of the city and ^(J)stoned him. And ^(K)the witnesses laid down their garments ^(L)at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And as they were stoning Stephen, ^(M)he called out, “Lord Jesus, ^(N)receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ And ^(O)falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ^(P)“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, ^(Q)he fell asleep.

Saul Ravages the Church

8 And ^(R)Saul ^(S)approved of his execution.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and ^(T)they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.