Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer for a Safe Place

59 O my God, take me away from those who hate me. Put me up high above those who rise up against me. ² Take me away from those who do wrong. And save me from those who kill. ³ For, look, they lie in wait for my life. Strong men are gathering together to fight me, but not because of my wrong-doing or my sin, O Lord. ⁴ I have done no wrong, but they get ready to fight against me. Rise up to help me. ⁵ You, O Lord God of All, God of Israel, rise up to punish all the nations. Show no loving-kindness to those people who cannot be trusted and plan sins. ⁶ They return at evening. They sound like dogs and go around the city. ⁷ See, they spit with their mouth. Swords are in their lips. And they say, “Who can hear us?” ⁸ But You laugh at them, O Lord. You laugh at all the nations.

⁹ O my Strength, I will watch for You. For God is my strong place. ¹⁰ My God in His loving-kindness will meet me. God will let me look at those who come against me and know that I will win the fight. ¹¹ Do not kill them, or my people may forget. Divide them by Your power and bring them down, O Lord, our safe-covering. ¹² Let them be caught in their pride for the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips. For the lies and bad things they say, ¹³ destroy them in anger. Destroy them so that they will be no more. Let it be known that God rules in Jacob and to the ends of the earth.

¹⁴ They return at evening. They make sounds like dogs and go around the city. ¹⁵ They go around looking for food and they show their teeth if they are not filled.

¹⁶ But as for me, I will sing of Your strength. Yes, I will sing with joy of Your loving-kindness in the morning. For You have been a strong and safe place for me in times of trouble. ¹⁷ O my Strength, I will sing praises to You. For God is my strong place and the God Who shows me loving-kindness.

Queen Jezebel Is Killed

³⁰ When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it. She colored her eyes and combed her hair, and then looked out the window. ³¹ As Jehu came through the gate, she said, “Is it well, Zimri, your owner’s killer?” ³² Then he looked up to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three men looked down at him. ³³ Then he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw Jezebel down. Some of her blood went on the wall and on the horses. And Jehu made his war-wagons go over her. ³⁴ Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. And he said, “Now go out to this sinful woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.” ³⁵ So they went to bury her. But all they found were her skull and feet and hands. ³⁶ When they returned and told Jehu, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite. He said, ‘In the land of Jezreel the dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel. ³⁷ Jezebel’s body will be as waste on the field in the land of Jezreel. So no one will be able to say, “This is Jezebel.”’”

A Boy with a Demon Is Healed ^(A)

³⁷ The next day they came down from the mountain and many people met Jesus. ³⁸ A man from among the people cried out, “Teacher, I beg of You to look at my son. He is my only child. ³⁹ See, a demon takes him and makes him cry out. It takes hold of him and makes him shake. Spit runs from his mouth. He has marks on his body from being hurt. The demon does not want to go from him. ⁴⁰ I begged Your followers to put the demon out, but they could not.”

⁴¹ Then Jesus said, “You people of this day do not have faith. You turn from what is right! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring your son to Me.” ⁴² While the boy was coming, the demon threw him down and made him lose the use of his mind for awhile. Jesus spoke sharp words to the demon. He healed the child and gave him back to his father.

Jesus Tells of His Death the Second Time ^(B)

⁴³ They were all surprised at the great power of God. They all were thinking about the special things Jesus had done. And Jesus said to His followers,