Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord Helps His Troubled People

A Psalm of David ^(A)when he fled from Absalom his son.

¹⁹ So Samuel ^(A)grew, and ^(B)the Lord was with him ^(C)and let none of his words ^[a]fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel ^(D)from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been ^[b]established as a prophet of the Lord. ²¹ Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by ^(E)the word of the Lord.

The Death of Eli

4 And the word of Samuel came to all ^[c]Israel.

The Ark of God Captured

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside ^(F)Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. ² Then the ^(G)Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was ^[d]defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.

The Just Live by Faith

²⁶ For ^(A)if we sin willfully ^(B)after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there ^(C)no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and ^(D)fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three ^(E)witnesses. ^29 (F)Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, ^(G)counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, ^(H)and insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, ^(I)“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” ^[a]says the Lord. And again, ^(J)“The Lord will judge His people.” ^31 (K)It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.