Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Book I—Psalms 3–41^[a]

Psalm 3^[b]

Trust in God in Time of Danger

¹ A psalm of David. When he was fleeing from his son Absalom.

²² Solomon’s Prayer.^[a] Solomon then stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire assembly of Israel, and he extended his hands to the heavens. ²³ He said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in the heavens above or on the earth below, who keeps a covenant of mercy with your servants who walk before you with all their heart. ²⁴ You have kept your promise to your servant, David, my father. You spoke it with your own mouth, and with your own hand, you have fulfilled it today.

²⁵ “And so now, O Lord, God of Israel, take heed of what you said to your servant, David, my father, when you said, ‘You will not fail to have one who will sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your children walk before me as you have walked before me.’ ²⁶ Now, O God of Israel, let what you have said to your servant David, my father, come true. ²⁷ But will God truly dwell upon the earth? Behold, the heavens and the highest heavens could not contain you, how much less this temple that I have built?

²⁸ “Give heed to the prayer of your servant and his supplication, O Lord, my God. Listen to the cry and the prayer that your servant makes before you today. ²⁹ May your eyes be wide open upon this temple night and day, the place of which you said, ‘My name will be there.’ Heed the prayer that your servant makes for this place. ³⁰ Hear the supplication of your servant and your people Israel when they pray for this place. Hear from your dwelling place in heaven, and when you hear, forgive.

The Coming Persecution.^{[a] 9} “Be on your guard. For they will hand you over to courts and beat you in synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me to testify before them. ¹⁰ But first the gospel must be preached to all nations.

¹¹ “When they arrest you and bring you to trial, do not be concerned beforehand about what you are to say. Simply say whatever is given to you when that time comes, for it will not be you who speak but the Holy Spirit.

¹² “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ¹³ You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.

¹⁴ The Great Trial.“Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation^[b] standing where it does not belong (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, ¹⁵ the one who is standing on the roof must not come down or go inside to take anything out of the house, ¹⁶ and someone who is in the field must not turn back to retrieve his coat.

¹⁷ “Woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing infants in those days. ¹⁸ Pray that all this may not occur in winter. ¹⁹ For in those days there will be such suffering as has not been since the beginning of the creation that God made until now and will never be again. ²⁰ And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he did cut short those days.

²¹ False Messiahs and False Prophets.^[c]“Therefore, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ²² For false christs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders to lead astray God’s chosen ones, if that were possible. ²³ Be on your guard! I have forewarned you about everything.