Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Jehovah a provider and deliverer.

A Psalm of David; ^[a]when he ^[b]changed his behavior before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

¹² At that time ^[a]Berodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah; for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. ¹³ And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and showed them all the house of his ^[b]precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and ^[c]the house of his ^[d]armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not. ¹⁴ Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon. ¹⁵ And he said, What have they seen in thy house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in my house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.

¹⁶ And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of Jehovah. ¹⁷ Behold, the days come, that all that is in thy house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith Jehovah. ¹⁸ And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. ¹⁹ Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of Jehovah which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, Is it not so, if peace and truth shall be in my days?

7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; ³ without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God), abideth a priest continually.

⁴ Now consider how great this man was, unto whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the chief spoils. ⁵ And they indeed of the sons of Levi that receive the priest’s office have commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though these have come out of the loins of Abraham: ⁶ but he whose genealogy is not counted from them hath taken tithes of Abraham, and hath blessed him that hath the promises. ⁷ But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better. ⁸ And here men that die receive tithes; but there one, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. ⁹ And, so to say, through Abraham even Levi, who receiveth tithes, hath paid tithes; ¹⁰ for he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchizedek met him.