Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Taste and See
Psalm 34
1 Of David, when he feigned insanity before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.
2 I will bless Adonai at all times.
His praise is continually in my mouth.
3 My soul boasts in Adonai.
The humble ones hear of it and rejoice.
4 Magnify Adonai with me
and let us exalt His Name together.
5 I sought Adonai, and He answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
6 They who looked to Him were radiant,
and their faces will never be ashamed.
7 This poor man cried, and Adonai heard,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
8 The angel of Adonai encamps around those who fear Him,
and delivers them.
19 Adonai is close to the brokenhearted,
and saves those crushed in spirit.
20 Many are the distresses of the righteous,
but Adonai delivers him out of them all.
21 He keeps all his bones—
not one of them is broken.[a]
22 Evil kills the wicked—
those who hate the righteous will be held guilty.
Hezekiah Shows His Treasury to Babylon
12 At that time Berodach-baladan, son of King Baladan of Babylon, sent a letter and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 Now Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them his entire treasure house—the silver and the gold, the spices and the precious oil—and his armory, and everything that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.
14 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?”
Hezekiah replied, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.”
15 Then he asked, “What have they seen in your house?”
Hezekiah said, “They have seen everything in my house. There is nothing of my treasuries that I didn’t show them.”
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of Adonai: 17 ‘Behold, days are coming when everything in your house, which your fathers have stored up to this day, will be carried to Babylon—nothing will be left,’ says Adonai. 18 ‘Moreover, some of your descendants—who will issue from you, whom you will father—will be taken away and will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”
19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “Good is the word of Adonai which you have spoken.” For he thought, “Is it not so, if there will be shalom and security in my days?”
Melchizedek, a Kohen Forever
7 For this Melchizedek was king of Salem, kohen of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, [a] 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth of everything. First, by the translation of his name, he is “King of Righteousness”[b]; and then also King of Salem, which is “King of Shalom.” 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like Ben-Elohim, he remains a kohen for all time.
4 Now see how great this man is! Even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth out of the plunder. 5 Indeed, those sons of Levi who receive the priesthood have, according to Torah, a command to collect a tithe from the people[c]—that is, from their kin, although they have come out of the loins of Abraham. 6 But this one—who did not have their genealogy—has collected tithes from Abraham and has blessed him, the one holding the promises. 7 Now it is beyond dispute that the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In one case, dying men receive tithes; but in the other, one about whom it is testified that he lives on. 9 Through Abraham even Levi, the one receiving tithes, has paid the tithe, so to speak— 10 for he was still in his father’s loins when Melchizedek met him.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.