Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Glory of the Kingdom

Psalm 145

Return to the Lord

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Adonai came to the prophet Zechariah^[a], son of Berechiah son of Iddo, saying:

² “Adonai has been furious with your fathers. ³ Therefore tell them, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘Return to Me’^[b]—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot—‘and I will return to you,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot. ⁴ Do not be like your fathers to whom the former prophets cried out saying, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘Turn back now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not listen or pay attention to Me.’ It is a declaration of Adonai.

⁵ “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? ⁶ But My words and My decrees, which I commanded My servants the prophets—did they not overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said ‘As He determined, Adonai-Tzva’ot has dealt with us according to our ways and our deeds.’”

Among the Myrtle Trees

⁷ On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shevat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Adonai came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying: ⁸ “In the night I saw, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse was standing among the myrtle trees that were in the ravine. Behind him were red, sorrel and white horses.^[c]

⁹ Then I asked, ‘What are these, my lord?’

Now the angel speaking with me said to me, ‘I will show you what these are.’

¹⁰ Then the man standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, ‘These are the ones Adonai has sent to walk back and forth throughout the earth.’

¹¹ They answered the angel of Adonai who stood among the myrtle trees saying, ‘We have walked throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth sits quietly and is still.’

¹² Then the angel of Adonai answered and said, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot, how long will You withhold compassion on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah with whom You have been angry for 70 years?’ ¹³ Adonai answered the angel who was speaking to me with pleasant, comforting words.

¹⁴ Then the angel speaking to me said, ‘Cry out saying, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “I am exceedingly zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion ¹⁵ and I am infuriated with the haughty nations. I was a little angry with them, but they furthered their own calamity.”

¹⁶ “Therefore,” thus says Adonai, “I will return to Jerusalem with compassion. My House will be built there,” declares Adonai-Tzva’ot “and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ¹⁷ Again cry out, saying, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “My cities will again overflow with prosperity and Adonai will again comfort Zion and will again choose Jerusalem.’”^[d]

²² Up to this statement they listened to him. Then they raised their voices, saying, “Away from the earth with this fellow! For he’s not fit to live!”

The Romans Intervene

²³ As they were crying out and flinging off their cloaks and throwing dust into the air, ^{[a] 24} the commander ordered Paul to be brought into headquarters. He said Paul should be examined by lashing, so that he might find out why they were shouting against him so. ²⁵ But when they stretched him out with straps, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen without due process?”

²⁶ Now when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it, saying, “What are you going to do? For this man is Roman.”

²⁷ The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you Roman?”

And he said, “Yes.”

²⁸ The commander answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.”

Paul said, “But I was born so.”

²⁹ Therefore, those who were about to interrogate him instantly drew back from him. And the commander also was afraid when he found out that Paul was a Roman and that he had bound him.

Delivered to the Council

³⁰ But on the next day, desiring to know exactly why Paul had been accused by the Judeans, he released him and commanded the ruling kohanim and all the Sanhedrin to meet together. And he brought Paul and set him before them.

23 Paul, looking intently at the Sanhedrin, said, “Brothers, I have lived my life in all good conscience for God up to this day.” ² But the kohen gadol Ananias ordered those standing by him to strike him on the mouth.

³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you on the mouth, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit judging me according to the Torah, and yet in violation of the Torah you order me to be struck?”^[b]

⁴ Those standing nearby said, “Do you insult God’s kohen gadol?”

⁵ Paul said, “I didn’t know, brothers, that he is the kohen gadol. For it has been written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”^[c]

⁶ But recognizing that one group was Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! I am on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!”

⁷ When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all. ⁹ Then there was a great uproar. Some of the Torah scholars of the Pharisees’ party stood up and protested sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man! What if a spirit or angel has spoken to him?”

¹⁰ As a big dispute was developing, the commander was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them. So he ordered the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and to bring him into headquarters.

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, “Take courage! For just as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome!”