Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

^16 (15) These are the men who crossed the Yarden during the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks, and drove out all those who lived in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.

^17 (16) From the descendants of Binyamin and Y’hudah a number came to David at the fortress. ^18 (17) When David went out to meet them, he said, “If you are coming to me in peace to help me, my heart will be bonded to yours. But if you are coming to betray me to my enemies, then, since I have done nothing wrong, may the God of our fathers see it and judge.” ^19 (18) Then the Spirit covered ‘Amasai the chief commander, and he said:

David welcomed them and made them senior officers.

^20 (19) From M’nasheh some defected to David when he was about to go with the P’lishtim to fight against Sha’ul; but they ended up not helping them; because the rulers of the P’lishtim, after consultation, sent David away, saying, “He will defect to his master Sha’ul at the cost of our heads.” ^21 (20) As he was on his way to Ziklag, those who defected to him from M’nasheh included ‘Adnach, Yozavad, Y’dia‘el, Mikha’el, Yozavad, Elihu and Tziltai, commanders of thousands from M’nasheh. ^22 (21) They helped David against the raiding band, for they were all strong, brave men who were commanders in the army.

⁵ Then the One sitting on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new!” Also he said, “Write, ‘These words are true and trustworthy!’” ⁶ And he said to me, “It is done! I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’ the Beginning and the End. To anyone who is thirsty I myself will give water free of charge from the Fountain of Life. ⁷ He who wins the victory will receive these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. ⁸ But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshippers, and all liars — their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death.”

⁹ One of the seven angels having the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues approached me and said, “Come! I will show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ He carried me off in the Spirit to the top of a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city, Yerushalayim, coming down out of heaven from God. ¹¹ It had the Sh’khinah of God, so that its brilliance was like that of a priceless jewel, like a crystal-clear diamond. ¹² It had a great, high wall with twelve gates; at the gates were twelve angels; and inscribed on the gates were the names of the twelve tribes of Isra’el. ¹³ There were three gates to the east, three gates to the north, three gates to the south and three gates to the west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city was built on twelve foundation-stones, and on these were the twelve names of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb.