Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 63

Praise God Who Satisfies

A psalm of David. When he was in the Wilderness of Judah.^(A)

¹⁵ He even tore down the altar at Bethel^(A) and the high place^(B) that had been made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. He burned the high place, crushed it to dust, and burned the Asherah.^{(C) 16} As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mountain. He sent someone to take the bones out of the tombs, and he burned them on the altar.^(D) He defiled it according to the word of the Lord proclaimed by the man of God^[a] who proclaimed these things.^{(E) 17} Then he said, “What is this monument I see?”

The men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done to the altar at Bethel.”^(F)

¹⁸ So he said, “Let him rest. Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.^(G)

¹⁹ Josiah also removed all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to anger the Lord.^(H) Josiah did the same things to them that he had done at Bethel. ²⁰ He slaughtered on the altars all the priests of those high places,^(I) and he burned human bones on the altars.^(J) Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Passover Observed

²¹ The king commanded all the people, “Observe the Passover of the Lord your God as written in the book of the covenant.”^{(K) 22} No such Passover had ever been observed from the time of the judges who judged Israel through the entire time of the kings of Israel and Judah. ²³ But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the Lord’s Passover was observed in Jerusalem.^(L)

Further Zeal for the Lord

²⁴ In addition, Josiah eradicated the mediums, the spiritists,^(M) household idols,^(N) images, and all the abhorrent things^(O) that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this in order to carry out the words of the law that were written in the book that the priest Hilkiah found in the Lord’s temple.^{(P) 25} Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength^(Q) according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him.^(R)

The Two Witnesses

11 Then I was given a measuring reed^(A) like a rod,^[a] with these words: “Go^[b] and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who worship there. ² But exclude the courtyard outside the temple.^(B) Don’t measure it, because it is given to the nations,^[c](C) and they will trample the holy city^(D) for forty-two months.^{(E) 3} I will grant^[d] my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.”^{(F) 4} These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord^[e] of the earth.^{(G) 5} If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies;^(H) if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. ⁶ They have authority to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy.^(I) They also have power over the waters to turn them into blood^(J) and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want.^(K)

The Witnesses Martyred

⁷ When they finish their testimony, the beast^(L) that comes up out of the abyss^(M) will make war on them, conquer them, and kill them. ⁸ Their dead bodies^[f](N) will lie in the main street^[g] of the great city,^(O) which figuratively^[h] is called Sodom^(P) and Egypt,^(Q) where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ And some of^[i] the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations^(R) will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb.^{(S) 10} Those who live on the earth will gloat^(T) over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

The Witnesses Resurrected

¹¹ But after three and a half days, the breath^[j] of life^(U) from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. ¹² Then they heard^[k] a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.^{(V) 13} At that moment a violent earthquake took place,^(W) a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴ The second woe^(X) has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming soon!