Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹ ¶ The LORD reigns; he has clothed himself with majesty; the LORD has clothed himself with strength; he has girded himself: he has established the world also, that it cannot be moved.

² From this time on, thy throne shall never be moved; thou art eternal.

³ The rivers have lifted up, O LORD; the rivers have lifted up their voice; the rivers lift up their waves.

⁴ The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

⁵ Thy testimonies are very sure; holiness becomes thy house, O LORD, for ever.

²⁰ And the king commanded Hilkiah and Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Abdon, the son of Micah, and Shaphan, the scribe, and Asaiah, a slave of the king’s, saying,

²¹ Go, enquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant of Israel and of Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all the things that are written in this book.

²² Then Hilkiah and those of the king went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the house of doctrine); and they spoke to her to that effect.

²³ And she answered them, The LORD God of Israel hath said thus, Tell the man that sent you to me,

²⁴ that thus hath the LORD said, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah

²⁵ because they have forsaken me and have sacrificed unto other gods, provoking me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore, my wrath shall be poured out upon this place and shall not be quenched.

²⁶ But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus hath the LORD God of Israel said, Because thou hast heard the words of the book,

²⁷ and thy heart became tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, hearing his words against this place and against its inhabitants and didst humble thyself before me and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me, I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.

²⁸ Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace; neither shall thy eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.

²⁹ ¶ Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

³⁰ And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites and all the people, great and small; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

³¹ And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and that they would keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and with all their soul to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.

³² And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

³³ And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the lands that pertained to the sons of Israel and made all that were present in Israel serve the LORD their God only. And all his days they did not depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

²⁵ ¶ And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

²⁶ And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he should see the Christ of the Lord.

²⁷ And he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

²⁸ then he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

²⁹ Lord, now let thy slave depart in peace, according to thy word,

³⁰ for mine eyes have seen thy saving health,

³¹ which thou hast prepared before the face of all the peoples:

³² a light to be revealed unto the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.

³³ And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against

³⁵ (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

³⁶ And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was of a great age and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity,

³⁷ and she was a widow eighty-four years, who departed not from the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.

³⁸ And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spoke of him to all those that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.