Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Josiah’s Sin Leads to His Death^(A)

²⁰ After all this, when Josiah had repaired the temple, King Neco of Egypt came to fight a battle at Carchemish at the Euphrates River. Josiah went to attack him. ²¹ But Neco sent messengers to Josiah to say, “What’s your quarrel with me, king of Judah? I’m not attacking you. I’ve come to fight those who are at war with me. God told me to hurry. God is with me, so stop now or else he will destroy you.”

²² But Josiah would not stop his attack. He disguised himself as he went into battle. He refused to listen to Neco’s words, which came from God, and he went to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

²³ Some archers shot King Josiah. The king told his officers, “Take me away because I’m badly wounded.”

²⁴ His officers took him out of the chariot and brought him to Jerusalem in his other chariot. He died and was buried in the tombs of his ancestors. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. ²⁵ Jeremiah sang a funeral song about Josiah. All the male and female singers still sing funeral songs about Josiah today. This became a tradition in Israel. They are written in ⌞the Book of⌟ the Funeral Songs.

²⁶ Everything else about Josiah—including his devotion to God by following what is written in the Lord’s Teachings ²⁷ and his acts from first to last—are written in the records of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces to get to the city of Ephesus. He met some disciples in Ephesus ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”

They answered him, “No, we’ve never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”

³ Paul asked them, “What kind of baptism did you have?”

They answered, “John’s baptism.”

⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.^[a] John told people to believe in Jesus, who was coming later.”

⁵ After they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came to them, and they began to talk in other languages and to speak what God had revealed. ⁷ About twelve men were in the group.

⁸ For three months Paul would go into the synagogue and speak boldly. He had discussions with people to convince them about God’s kingdom. ⁹ But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and had nothing good to say in front of the crowd about the way ⌞of Christ⌟, he left them. He took his disciples and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This continued for two years so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.