Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Temple Burned

¹² Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard who served the king of Babylon came into Jerusalem, ¹³ and burned the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem. Even all the large houses, he burned with fire. ¹⁴ And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around. ¹⁵ Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people, and the rest of the people who remained in the city, and those who fell away, who fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. ¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.

¹⁷ Also the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the Lord, and the stands, and the bronze sea that was in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke and carried all their bronze to Babylon. ¹⁸ The cauldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered, they took away. ¹⁹ The captain of the guard also took away the basins, and the fire pans, and the bowls, and the cauldrons, and the lampstands, and the spoons, and the cups, what was of fine gold, and what was of fine silver.

²⁰ The two pillars, one sea, and twelve bronze bulls that were under the bases, which King Solomon had made in the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. ²¹ Concerning the pillars: the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, and it was twelve cubits in circumference and in thickness it was four fingers,^[a] and hollow. ²² A capital of bronze was upon it, and the height of one capital was five cubits,^[b] with network and pomegranates upon the capital all around, all of bronze. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like these. ²³ There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network all around.

The Babylonian Exile

²⁴ The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three officers of the temple. ²⁵ He also took out of the city one official who had charge of the men of war, and seven men of the advisers of the king who were found in the city, and the scribe of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city. ²⁶ So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. ²⁷ The king of Babylon struck them and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath.

Thus Judah was carried away captive out of its own land. ²⁸ These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive:

The Message to Pergamum

¹² “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

“He who has the sharp two-edged sword says these things: ¹³ I know your works and where you live, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold firmly to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

¹⁴ “But I have a few things against you: You have there those who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ So you also have those who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will war against them with the sword of My mouth.

¹⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except he who receives it.

The Message to Thyatira

¹⁸ “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

“The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like fine brass, says these things: ¹⁹ I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience, and that your last works are more than the first.

²⁰ “But I have a few things against you: You permit that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, but she did not repent. ²² Look! I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. ²³ I will put her children to death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the hearts and minds. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

²⁴ “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this teaching, who have not known what some call the ‘depths of Satan,’ I will put on you no other burden. ²⁵ But hold firmly what you have until I come.

²⁶ “To him who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, I will give authority over the nations—

even as I myself have received authority from My Father. ²⁸ And I will give him the morning star. ²⁹ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.