Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Fall of Jerusalem Reviewed^(A)

52 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. ² He did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. ³ Through the anger of the Lord this came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah until He had cast them out from His presence.

Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

⁴ In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it; they built a siege wall all around it. ⁵ So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

⁶ In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was so severe in the city that there was no bread for the people of the land. ⁷ Then the city was breached, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city by night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city, and they went by way of the Arabah. ⁸ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him.

⁹ Then they took the king and carried him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath where he passed sentence on him. ¹⁰ The king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also slew all the officials of Judah in Riblah. ¹¹ Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and the king of Babylon bound him in chains and carried him to Babylon and put him in prison until the day of his death.

The Message to Smyrna

⁸ “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

“The First and the Last, who was dead and came to life, says these things: ⁹ I know your works and tribulation and poverty (but you are rich). And I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tried, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹¹ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.