Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Thanksgiving for Yahweh’s Deliverance

Of David, when he pretended to be crazy^[a] in front of Abimelech^[b]

so that he drove him out, and so he departed.^[c]

Hezekiah Reveals Too Much to a Babylonian Envoy

¹² At that time, Berodak-Baladan the son of Baladan king of Babylon^[a] sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been ill. ¹³ Hezekiah heard about them and showed them all of the house of his treasure, both the silver and the gold, the spices, the good olive oil, the room of his weapons, and all that could be found in his treasuries. There was nothing that he did not show them in his palace and in all of his kingdom. ¹⁴ Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “From a far land; they have come from Babylon.” ¹⁵ Then he asked, “What did they see in your palace?” And Hezekiah said, “All that is in my palace they have seen; there is nothing that I did not show them in my treasuries.”

¹⁶ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of Yahweh! ¹⁷ ‘Look, days are coming when all that is in your palace will be carried off; even all that your ancestors^[b] have stored up until this day, to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says Yahweh. ¹⁸ ‘Your sons who went out from you, whom you brought forth, will be taken, and they shall be eunuchs in the temple of the king of Babylon.’” ¹⁹ Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of Yahweh which you have spoken is good,” and he thought, “Is it not that peace and security shall be in my days?”

The Greatness of Melchizedek

7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham as he^[a] was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,^{[b] 2} to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of everything^[c]—in the first place, his name is translated “king of righteousness,” and then also “king of Salem,” that is, “king of peace”; ³ without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God—he remains a priest for all time.

⁴ But see how great this man was, to whom Abraham^[d] the patriarch gave a tenth from the spoils! ⁵ And indeed those of the sons of Levi who receive the priesthood have a commandment to collect a tenth from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers, although they are descended from Abraham^[e]. ⁶ But the one who did not trace his descent from them collected tithes from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. ⁷ Now without any dispute the inferior is blessed by the more prominent. ⁸ And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case it is testified that he lives. ⁹ And, so to speak^[f], even Levi, the one who receives tithes, has paid tithes through Abraham. ¹⁰ For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.