Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
David’s Last Words
23 These are the last words of David:
“Here is the declaration by David, son of Jesse—
the declaration by the man whom God raised up,[a]
whom the God of Jacob anointed,
the singer of Israel’s psalms:
2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me.
His words were on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel spoke to them.
The rock of Israel told me,
‘The one who rules humans with justice rules with the fear of God.
4 He is like the morning light as the sun rises,
like a morning without clouds,
like the brightness after a rainstorm.
The rain makes the grass grow from the earth.’
5 “Truly, God considers my house to be that way,
because he has made a lasting promise [b] to me,
with every detail arranged and assured.
⌞He promised⌟ everything that helps me,
everything that pleases me.
Truly, he makes these things happen.
6 “Worthless people are like thorns.
All of them are thrown away, because they cannot be picked by hand.
7 A person who touches them uses iron ⌞tools⌟
or the shaft of a spear.
Fire [c] will burn them up completely wherever they are.”
A song for going up to worship.
132 O Lord, remember David and all the hardships he endured.
2 Remember how he swore an oath to the Lord
and made this vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 “I will not step inside my house,
4 get into my bed, shut my eyes, or close my eyelids
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Now, we have heard about the ark ⌞of the promise⌟ being in Ephrathah.
We have found it in Jaar.
7 Let’s go to his dwelling place.
Let’s worship at his footstool.
8 O Lord, arise, and come to your resting place
with the ark of your power.
9 Clothe your priests with righteousness.
Let your godly ones sing with joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject your anointed one.
11 The Lord swore an oath to David.
This is a truth he will not take back:
“I will set one of your own descendants on your throne.
12 If your sons are faithful to my promise [a]
and my written instructions that I will teach them,
then their descendants will also sit on your throne forever.”
13 The Lord has chosen Zion.
He wants it for his home.
14 “This will be my resting place forever.
Here I will sit enthroned because I want Zion.
15 I will certainly bless all that Zion needs.
I will satisfy its needy people with food.
16 I will clothe its priests with salvation.
Then its godly ones will sing joyfully.
17 There I will make a horn sprout up for David.
I will prepare a lamp for my anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but the crown on my anointed one will shine.”
4 From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Good will [a] and peace to you from the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is coming, from the seven spirits who are in front of his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the witness, the trustworthy one, the first to come back to life, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. Glory and power forever and ever [b] belong to the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and has made us a kingdom, priests for God his Father. Amen.
7 Look! He is coming in the clouds.
Every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
Every tribe on earth will mourn because of him.
This is true. Amen.
8 “I am the A and the Z,” [c] says the Lord God, the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is coming, the Almighty.
33 Pilate went back into the palace, called for Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 Jesus replied, “Did you think of that yourself, or did others tell you about me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own people and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom doesn’t belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. My kingdom doesn’t have its origin on earth.”
37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”
Jesus replied, “You’re correct in saying that I’m a king. I have been born and have come into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.”
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.