Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

O Yahweh, Deliver My Soul

A Song of ^[a]Ascents.

^18 (A)Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was ^(B)Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. ¹⁹ And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, ^(C)according to all that Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ For ^(D)through the anger of Yahweh this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And ^(E)Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem

25 ^(F)Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, ^(G)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his military force, against Jerusalem, and he camped against it and ^(H)built a siege wall all around ^[a]it. ² So the city came under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. ³ On the ninth day of the fourth month ^(I)the famine was so strong in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. ^4 (J)Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside ^(K)the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And ^[b]they went by way of the Arabah. ⁵ But the military force of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his military force was scattered from him. ⁶ Then ^(L)they seized the king and ^(M)brought him up to the king of Babylon at ^(N)Riblah, and they spoke their judgment on him. ^7 (O)And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; then he ^(P)blinded the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

Jerusalem Burned

^8 (Q)Now on the seventh day of the ^(R)fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ^9 (S)And he burned the house of Yahweh, ^(T)the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. ¹⁰ So all the military force of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard ^(U)tore down the walls around Jerusalem. ¹¹ Then ^(V)the rest of the people who were left in the city and the defectors who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took away into exile. ¹² But the captain of the guard left some of ^(W)the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

^13 (X)Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of Yahweh, and the stands and ^(Y)the bronze sea which were in the house of Yahweh, the Chaldeans shattered and carried the ^[c]bronze to Babylon. ^14 (Z)They also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the bronze vessels which were used to minister. ¹⁵ The captain of the guard also took away the firepans and the bowls, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. ¹⁶ The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of Yahweh—^(AA)the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. ^17 (AB)The height of the one pillar was eighteen ^[d]cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three ^[e]cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these with network.

¹⁸ Then the captain of the guard took ^(AC)Seraiah the chief priest and ^(AD)Zephaniah the second priest, with the three ^[f]doorkeepers of the temple. ¹⁹ And from the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and ^(AE)five ^[g]of the king’s advisers who were found in the city; and the ^[h]scribe of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. ²⁰ And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and led them to the king of Babylon at ^(AF)Riblah. ²¹ Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. ^(AG)So Judah went into exile from its land.

²⁰ But now Christ ^(A)has been raised from the dead, the ^(B)first fruits of those who have ^(C)fallen asleep. ²¹ For since ^(D)by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For ^(E)as in Adam all die, so also in ^[a]Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ ^(F)the first fruits, after that ^(G)those who are Christ’s at ^(H)His coming. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when He hands over ^(I)the kingdom to the ^(J)God and Father, when He has abolished ^(K)all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must reign ^(L)until He has put all His enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be ^(M)abolished is death. ²⁷ For ^(N)He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “^(O)All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. ²⁸ And when ^(P)all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that ^(Q)God may be all in all.

²⁹ Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized ^[b]for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? ³⁰ Why are we also ^(R)in danger every hour? ³¹ I affirm, brothers, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, ^(S)I die daily. ³² If ^[c]from human motives I ^(T)fought with wild beasts at ^(U)Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, ^(V)let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. ^33 (W)Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” ^34 (X)Become righteously sober-minded, and stop sinning; for some have ^(Y)no knowledge of God. ^(Z)I speak this to your shame.