Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Majesty of the Lord.
93 (A)The Lord [a]reigns, He is (B)clothed with majesty;
The Lord has (C)clothed and girded Himself with strength;
Indeed, the (D)world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
2 Your (E)throne is established from of old;
You (F)are from everlasting.
3 The (G)floods have lifted up, O Lord,
The floods have lifted up their voice,
The floods lift up their pounding waves.
4 More than the sounds of many waters,
Than the mighty breakers of the sea,
The Lord (H)on high is mighty.
5 Your (I)testimonies are fully confirmed;
(J)Holiness befits Your house,
O Lord, [b]forevermore.
20 Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, [a]Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 21 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for (A)great is the wrath of the Lord which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.”
Huldah, the Prophetess, Speaks
22 So Hilkiah and those whom the king [b]had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of [c]Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this. 23 She said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, 24 thus says the Lord, “Behold, (B)I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all (C)the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. 25 (D)Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be quenched.”’ 26 But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus you will say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard, 27 (E)Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the Lord. 28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”’” And they brought back word to the king.
29 (F)Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 The king went up to the house of the Lord and (G)all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord.
Josiah’s Good Reign
31 Then the king (H)stood in his place and (I)made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book. 32 Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 Josiah (J)removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the Lord their God. Throughout his [d]lifetime they did not turn from following the Lord God of their fathers.
25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was (A)righteous and devout, (B)looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And (C)it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not (D)see death before he had seen the Lord’s [a]Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, [b](E)to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
(F)According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have (G)seen Your salvation,
31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 (H)A Light [c]of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 And His father and (I)mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary (J)His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for (K)the fall and [d]rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36 And there was a (L)prophetess, [e]Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of (M)the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in [f]years (N)and had lived with her husband seven years after her [g]marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with (O)fastings and prayers. 38 At that very [h]moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were (P)looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.