Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Joy in the Fellowship of God

A Psalm of David ^(A)when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

¹⁵ Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the ^[a]high place ^(A)which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and crushed it to powder, and burned the wooden image. ¹⁶ As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar, and defiled it according to the ^(B)word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. ¹⁷ Then he said, “What gravestone is this that I see?”

So the men of the city told him, “It is ^(C)the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.”

¹⁸ And he said, “Let him alone; let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of ^(D)the prophet who came from Samaria.

¹⁹ Now Josiah also took away all the ^[b]shrines of the ^[c]high places that were ^(E)in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke ^[d]the Lord to anger; and he did to them according to all the deeds he had done in Bethel. ^20 (F)He ^(G)executed all the priests of the ^[e]high places who were there, on the altars, and ^(H)burned men’s bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem.

²¹ Then the king commanded all the people, saying, ^(I)“Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, ^(J)as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” ^22 (K)Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. ²³ But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was held before the Lord in Jerusalem. ²⁴ Moreover Josiah put away those who consulted mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of ^(L)the law which were written in the book ^(M)that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. ^25 (N)Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.

The Two Witnesses

11 Then I was given ^(A)a reed like a measuring rod. ^[a]And the angel stood, saying, ^(B)“Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. ² But leave out ^(C)the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, ^(D)for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will ^(E)tread the holy city underfoot for ^(F)forty-two months. ³ And I will give power to my two ^(G)witnesses, ^(H)and they will prophesy ^(I)one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

⁴ These are the ^(J)two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the ^[b]God of the earth. ⁵ And if anyone wants to harm them, ^(K)fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. ^(L)And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. ⁶ These ^(M)have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

The Witnesses Killed

⁷ When they ^(N)finish their testimony, ^(O)the beast that ascends ^(P)out of the bottomless pit ^(Q)will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. ⁸ And their dead bodies will lie in the street of ^(R)the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, ^(S)where also ^[c]our Lord was crucified. ^9 (T)Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations ^[d]will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, ^(U)and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. ^10 (V)And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, ^(W)and send gifts to one another, ^(X)because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

The Witnesses Resurrected

^11 (Y)Now after the three-and-a-half days ^(Z)the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. ¹² And ^[e]they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” ^(AA)And they ascended to heaven ^(AB)in a cloud, ^(AC)and their enemies saw them. ¹³ In the same hour ^(AD)there was a great earthquake, ^(AE)and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid ^(AF)and gave glory to the God of heaven.

^14 (AG)The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.