Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 105
God’s Faithfulness to His People
1 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
proclaim his deeds among the peoples.(A)
2 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell about all his wondrous works!(B)
3 Boast in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.(C)
4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.(D)
5 Remember the wondrous works he has done,
his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,[a](E)
6 you offspring of Abraham his servant,
Jacob’s descendants—his chosen ones.(F)
7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments govern the whole earth.(G)
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
the promise he ordained
for a thousand generations(H)—
9 the covenant he made with Abraham,
swore[b] to Isaac,(I)
10 and confirmed to Jacob as a decree
and to Israel as a permanent covenant:(J)
11 “I will give the land of Canaan to you
as your inherited portion.”(K)
16 He called down famine against the land
and destroyed the entire food supply.(A)
17 He had sent a man ahead of them—
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.(B)
18 They hurt his feet with shackles;
his neck was put in an iron collar.(C)
19 Until the time his prediction came true,
the word of the Lord tested him.(D)
20 The king sent for him and released him;
the ruler of peoples set him free.(E)
21 He made him master of his household,
ruler over all his possessions(F)—
22 binding[a] his officials at will
and instructing his elders.(G)
23 Then Israel went to Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.[b](H)
24 The Lord[c] made his people very fruitful;
he made them more numerous than their foes,(I)
25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people
and to deal deceptively with his servants.(J)
26 He sent Moses his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.(K)
27 They performed his miraculous signs among them
and wonders in the land of Ham.(L)
28 He sent darkness, and it became dark—
for did they not defy his commands?(M)
29 He turned their water into blood
and caused their fish to die.(N)
30 Their land was overrun with frogs,
even in their royal chambers.(O)
31 He spoke, and insects came(P)—
gnats throughout their country.(Q)
32 He gave them hail for rain,
and lightning throughout their land.(R)
33 He struck their vines and fig trees
and shattered the trees of their territory.(S)
34 He spoke, and locusts came—
young locusts without number.
35 They devoured all the vegetation in their land
and consumed the produce of their land.(T)
36 He struck all the firstborn in their land,
all their first progeny.(U)
37 Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold,
and no one among his tribes stumbled.(V)
38 Egypt was glad when they left,
for the dread of Israel[d] had fallen on them.(W)
39 He spread a cloud as a covering
and gave a fire to light up the night.(X)
40 They asked, and he brought quail
and satisfied them with bread from heaven.(Y)
41 He opened a rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed like a stream in the desert.(Z)
42 For he remembered his holy promise
to Abraham his servant.(A)
War against Eastern Enemies
20 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites,[a](A) came to fight against Jehoshaphat. 2 People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom[b] has come to fight against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar”(B) (that is, En-gedi). 3 Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved(C) to seek the Lord. Then he proclaimed a fast(D) for all Judah, 4 who gathered to seek the Lord. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek him.
Jehoshaphat’s Prayer
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the Lord’s temple before the new courtyard. 6 He said:
Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven,(E) and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations?(F) Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you. 7 Are you not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel(G) and who gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham(H) your friend? 8 They have lived in the land and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name and have said, 9 “If disaster comes on us—sword or judgment, pestilence or famine(I)—we will stand before this temple and before you, for your name is in this temple.(J) We will cry out to you because of our distress, and you will hear and deliver.”
10 Now here are the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir.(K) You did not let Israel invade them when Israel came out of the land of Egypt, but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them.(L) 11 Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them?(M) For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.[c](N)
God’s Answer
13 All Judah was standing before the Lord with their dependents, their wives, and their children. 14 In the middle of the congregation, the Spirit of the Lord came on(O) Jahaziel (son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants), 15 and he said, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number,(P) for the battle is not yours, but God’s.(Q) 16 Tomorrow, go down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.(R) He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged.(S) Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’”(T)
18 Then Jehoshaphat knelt low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord to worship him.(U) 19 Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites(V) stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel shouting loudly.
Victory and Plunder
20 In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established;(W) believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of his holiness.(X) When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing:[d]
Give thanks to the Lord,
for his faithful love endures forever.(Y)
22 The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush(Z) against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated.
The Narrow Way
22 He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem.(A) 23 “Lord,” someone asked him, “are only a few people going to be saved?” (B)
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,(C) because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able 25 once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door.(D) Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us!’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’ 26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me,(E) all you evildoers!’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth(F) in that place,(G) when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God,(H) but yourselves thrown out. 29 They will come from east and west, from north and south, to share the banquet[a] in the kingdom of God. 30 Note this: Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”(I)
Jesus and Herod Antipas
31 At that time some Pharisees came and told him, “Go, get out of here. Herod(J) wants to kill you.”(K)
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