Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer for the House of God
132 O Lord, remember David and all of his suffering. 2 Remember how he swore to the Lord, and how he made a promise to the Powerful One of Jacob: 3 “For sure I will not go into my house or lie on my bed, 4 or let sleep come and close my eyes, 5 until I find a place for the Lord, a house of worship for the Powerful One of Jacob.”
6 See, we heard about it in Ephrathah. We found it in the field of Jaar. 7 Let us go into the House of God. Let us worship at His feet. 8 Rise up, O Lord. Go to the place where You can rest, You and the special box of the Way of Worship which is Your strength. 9 Let Your religious leaders be dressed with what is right and good. And let those who belong to You sing for joy.
10 Because of David Your servant, do not turn away from Your chosen one. 11 The Lord has made a sure promise to David that He will never break: “I will set upon your throne your own children. 12 If your sons will keep My Law and My Word which I will teach them, then their sons will sit upon your throne forever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion. He has wanted it for a place to live: 14 “This is the place where I can rest forever. Here I will live, for I have wanted it. 15 I will give her many good things. I will give her poor people much bread. 16 I will dress her religious leaders with saving power. And those in her that belong to Me will sing for joy. 17 There I will make the horn of David grow and will make a lamp ready for My chosen one. 18 I will dress those who hate him with shame. But the crown on him will shine.”
11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 Then he told Hilkiah the religious leader, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the writer, and Asaiah the king’s servant, 13 “Go, ask the Lord for me and all Judah about the words of this book that has been found. For the Lord is very angry with us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book. They have not done all that is written for us to do.”
14 So Hilkiah the religious leader, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to Huldah the woman who spoke for God. She was the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, and watched over the clothes of the house. (She lived in the Second Part of Jerusalem.) They spoke to her. 15 She said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says. Tell the man who sent you to me 16 that the Lord says, ‘See, I will bring trouble upon this place and upon its people. All the words of the book which the king of Judah has read will come true 17 because they have turned away from Me and have burned special perfume to other gods. They have made Me angry with all the work of their hands. So My anger burns against this place, and it will not be stopped.’ 18 But tell the king of Judah who sent you to ask of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says about the words you have heard. 19 “You heard how I spoke against this place and against its people. I said that they should be destroyed and laid waste. They should be hated and destroyed. But when you heard this, you were sorry in your heart. You put away your pride before the Lord. You have torn your clothes and cried before Me, and I have heard you,” says the Lord. 20 “So I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the trouble which I will bring upon this place.”’” So they returned to the king and told him what was said.
20 But it is true! Christ has been raised from the dead! He was the first One to be raised from the dead and all those who are in graves will follow. 21 Death came because of a man, Adam. Being raised from the dead also came because of a Man, Christ. 22 All men will die as Adam died. But all those who belong to Christ will be raised to new life. 23 This is the way it is: Christ was raised from the dead first. Then all those who belong to Christ will be raised from the dead when He comes again. 24 Next, at the end of the world, Christ will give His holy nation over to God the Father. Christ will have destroyed every nation and power. 25 Christ must be King until He has destroyed all those who hate Him and work against Him. 26 The last thing that will be destroyed is death. 27 The Holy Writings say that God has put all things under Christ’s feet except Himself. 28 When Christ is over all things, He will put Himself under God Who put all things under Christ. And God will be over all things.
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