Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A song for going up to worship.

King Josiah of Judah^(A)

22 Josiah was 8 years old when he began to rule, and he was king for 31 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath. ² Josiah did what the Lord considered right. He lived in the ways of his ancestor David and never stopped.

The Book of the Lord’s Teachings Found in the Temple^(B)

³ In Josiah’s eighteenth year as king of Judah, he sent the scribe Shaphan, son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, to the Lord’s temple with these instructions: ⁴ “Go to the chief priest Hilkiah. Have him count the money that has been brought into the Lord’s temple, ⌞the money⌟ that the doorkeepers have collected from the people. ⁵ Give ⌞some of⌟ it to the foremen who are in charge of the Lord’s temple. They should give it to the workmen who are making repairs on the Lord’s temple. ⁶ (These workers include the carpenters, builders, and masons.) Also, use ⌞the rest of⌟ the money to buy lumber and quarried stones to repair the temple. ⁷ Since the workmen are honest, don’t require them to account for the money you give them.”

⁸ The chief priest Hilkiah told the scribe Shaphan, “I have found the Book of Moses’ Teachings in the Lord’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who then read it.

⁹ The scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported, “We have taken the money donated in the temple and have given it to the workmen who are in charge of the Lord’s temple.” ¹⁰ Then the scribe Shaphan told the king, “The priest Hilkiah has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it to the king.

Stephen Is Executed

⁵⁴ As council members listened to Stephen, they became noticeably furious. ⁵⁵ But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked into heaven, saw God’s glory, and Jesus in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. ⁵⁶ So Stephen said, “Look, I see heaven opened and the Son of Man in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the throne!”

⁵⁷ But the council members shouted and refused to listen. Then they rushed at Stephen with one purpose in mind, ⁵⁸ and after they had thrown him out of the city, they began to stone him to death. The witnesses left their coats with a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹ While council members were executing Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, welcome my spirit.” ⁶⁰ Then he knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them.” After he had said this, he died.

8 Saul approved of putting Stephen to death.

On that day widespread persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. Most believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.