Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁶ Some of the children of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. ¹⁷ David went out to meet them, and answered them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers see this and rebuke it.” ¹⁸ Then the Spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, and he said, “We are yours, David, and on your side, you son of Jesse. Peace, peace be to you, and peace be to your helpers; for your God helps you.” Then David received them and made them captains of the band.

¹⁹ Some of Manasseh also joined David when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle, but they didn’t help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away after consultation, saying, “He will desert to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.”

²⁰ As he went to Ziklag, some from Manasseh joined him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands who were of Manasseh. ²¹ They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and were captains in the army. ²² For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like God’s army.

⁵ He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.” ⁶ He said to me, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son. ⁸ But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners,^[a] abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,^[b] idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

⁹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls which were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” ¹⁰ He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, ¹¹ having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; ¹² having a great and high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. ¹³ On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.