Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord Helps His Troubled People

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

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication^(A)

²² Then Solomon stood before ^(B)the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and ^(C)spread out his hands toward heaven; ²³ and he said: “Lord God of Israel, ^(D)there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, ^(E)who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who ^(F)walk before You with all their hearts. ²⁴ You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. ²⁵ Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ^(G)‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.’ ^26 (H)And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father.

²⁷ “But ^(I)will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the ^(J)heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! ²⁸ Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today: ²⁹ that Your eyes may be open toward this ^[a]temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ^(K)‘My name shall be ^(L)there,’ that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes ^(M)toward this place. ^30 (N)And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.

⁹ “But ^(A)watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will ^[a]be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. ¹⁰ And ^(B)the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. ^11 (C)But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, ^[b]or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, ^(D)but the Holy Spirit. ¹² Now ^(E)brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ^13 (F)And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But ^(G)he who ^[c]endures to the end shall be saved.

The Great Tribulation^(H)

^14 (I)“So when you see the ^(J)‘abomination of desolation,’ ^[d]spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then ^(K)let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. ¹⁶ And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. ^17 (L)But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ¹⁸ And pray that your flight may not be in winter. ^19 (M)For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. ²⁰ And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

^21 (N)“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. ²² For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and ^(O)wonders to deceive, if possible, even the ^[e]elect. ²³ But ^(P)take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.