Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 3

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication^(A)

²² Then Solomon stood in front of the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel and spread his hands toward heaven. ²³ and he said,

“Lord God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below who keeps covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts, ²⁴ who have kept what You promised Your servant David my father. You spoke also with Your mouth and have 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, ‘You will not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, so long as your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.’ ²⁶ Now, O God of Israel, let Your word, I pray, be fulfilled, which You spoke to Your servant David my father.

²⁷ “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? See, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less can this house that I have built? ²⁸ Yet give consideration to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God; listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today, ²⁹ that Your eyes may be upon this house night and day, even toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that You may listen to the prayer which Your servant shall make toward this place. ³⁰ Please listen to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive.

⁹ “But take heed. For they will hand you over to councils, and in the synagogues you will be beaten. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. ¹¹ But when they arrest you and hand you over, take no thought beforehand, or premeditate what you should speak. But speak whatever is given you in that time, for it is not you who speaks, but the Holy Spirit.

¹² “Now a brother will betray his brother to death, and the father the son; children will rise up against their parents, and will cause them to be put to death. ¹³ You will be hated by all men for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

The Great Tribulation^(A)

¹⁴ “When you see the ‘abomination of desolation’^[a] spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Let him who is on the housetop not go down or enter the house to take anything out of his house. ¹⁶ Let him who is in the field not turn back to take his garment. ¹⁷ But woe to women who are pregnant and to those who nurse in those days! ¹⁸ Pray that your escape may not be in winter. ¹⁹ For in those days there will be distress as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created to this time, nor ever shall be.

²⁰ “Except the Lord shortened the days, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. ²¹ Then 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 rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²³ But take heed. I have told you all things beforehand.