Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Songs of Ascents and Great Hallel—Pss 120–136^[a]

Psalm 120^[b]

A Complaint against Treacherous Tongues

¹ A song of ascents.

¹⁸ Reign of Zedekiah.^[a] Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.

¹⁹ He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, everything that Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ This happened to Jerusalem and Judah on account of the anger of the Lord, and he cast them out from his presence. Zedekiah then rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Chapter 25

¹ It was during the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and all his army came up against Jerusalem. He camped and made siege-works all around it.^{[b] 2} The city was under siege until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah. ³ By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe that there was no food left for the people of the land.

⁴ There was a breach in the city wall, and all of the warriors fled at night by way of the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. They went toward the Arabah.

⁵ The Chaldean army chased after them and caught up with the king in the plains of Jericho, scattering his entire army. ⁶ They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon who was at Riblah where he pronounced his judgment. ⁷ They killed Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and then they put out his eyes, bound him in brass fetters, and carried him off to Babylon.

Destruction of Jerusalem. ⁸ On the seventh day of the fifth month of the ninth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and a servant of the king of Babylon, came up to Jerusalem. ⁹ He burned down the temple of the Lord, the royal palace, all of the buildings of Jerusalem. He burned down every large building. ¹⁰ All of the Chaldean army that was with the captain of the guard broke down all of the walls surrounding Jerusalem. ¹¹ Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried off the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

¹² But the captain of the guard left the poorest of the people who were to be vinedressers and herdsmen.

¹³ The Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars in the temple of the Lord and the bronze sea and its base in the temple of the Lord. They carried the bronze off to Babylon. ¹⁴ They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all of the bronze vessels that were used for ministry there. ¹⁵ The captain of the guard also took away the censers and the bowls, and everything that was made with gold or silver. ¹⁶ One could not even measure the weight of the bronze from all these things: the two pillars, the sea, and its base that were made by Solomon for the temple of the Lord. ¹⁷ Each bronze pillar with its capital was eighteen cubits tall. The capital was three cubits high, along with a bronze network and pomegranates upon the capital. The other pillar was identical with its network.

¹⁸ The captain of the guard took away Seraiah, the chief priest, Zephaniah, the second priest, as well as three of the doormen. ¹⁹ He also took the officer who was in charge of the fighting men out of the city as well as five of the king’s advisors who were caught in the city. He took the scribe assigned to the leader of the army, the one who would muster the people of the land. He also took sixty of the people of the land who were found in the city.

²⁰ Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon in Riblah. ²¹ The king of Babylon struck them down and killed them in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus, Judah was carried away from their land into exile.

²⁰ Christ, the Firstfruits.^[a] But Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came into the world through a man, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a man.

²² Just as in Adam all die, so all will be brought to life in Christ, ²³ but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every sovereignty and authority and power.^{[b] 25} For he is destined to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For he has put all things under his feet. But when it says “all things are put under,” it is obvious that this excludes the one who subjected everything to him. ²⁸ When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who made all things subject to him, so that God may be all in all.

²⁹ Practical Faith. Otherwise, what will people accomplish when they have themselves baptized for the dead?^[c] If the dead are not raised at all, why should anyone be baptized for them? ³⁰ And why should we be placing ourselves in danger every hour? ³¹ I face death every day—that is as sure as the pride that I have in you, brethren, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

³² With only human hopes, what would I have gained by fighting those wild beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised,

³³ Do not let anyone lead you astray. “Bad company corrupts good morals.” ³⁴ Come to your senses and sin no more. For some of you have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.