Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam of David when Saul sent men to watch David’s house to kill him.
59 God, save me from my enemies.
Protect me from those who come against me.
2 Save me from those who do evil
and from murderers.
3 Look, they are waiting to ambush me.
Cruel people attack me,
but I have not sinned or done wrong, Lord.
4 I have done nothing wrong, but they are ready to attack me.
Wake up to help me, and look.
5 You are the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel.
Arise and punish those people.
Do not give those traitors any mercy. Selah
6 They come back at night.
Like dogs they growl and roam around the city.
7 Notice what comes from their mouths.
Insults come from their lips,
because they say, “Who’s listening?”
8 But, Lord, you laugh at them;
you make fun of all of them.
9 God, my strength, I am looking to you,
because God is my defender.
10 My God loves me, and he goes in front of me.
He will help me defeat my enemies.
11 Lord, our protector, do not kill them, or my people will forget.
With your power scatter them and defeat them.
12 They sin by what they say;
they sin with their words.
They curse and tell lies,
so let their pride trap them.
13 Destroy them in your anger;
destroy them completely!
Then they will know
that God rules over Israel
and to the ends of the earth. Selah
14 They come back at night.
Like dogs they growl
and roam around the city.
15 They wander about looking for food,
and they howl if they do not find enough.
16 But I will sing about your strength.
In the morning I will sing about your love.
You are my defender,
my place of safety in times of trouble.
17 God, my strength, I will sing praises to you.
God, my defender, you are the God who loves me.
Death of Jezebel
30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it. She put on her eye makeup and fixed her hair. Then she looked out the window. 31 When Jehu entered the city gate, Jezebel said, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri,[a] you who killed your master?”
32 Jehu looked up at the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three servants looked out the window at Jehu. 33 He said to them, “Throw her down.” So they threw Jezebel down, and the horses ran over her. Some of her blood splashed on the wall and on the horses.
34 Jehu went into the house and ate and drank. Then he said, “Now see about this cursed woman. Bury her, because she is a king’s daughter.”
35 The men went to bury Jezebel, but they could not find her. They found only her skull, feet, and the palms of her hands. 36 When they came back and told Jehu, he said, “The Lord said this through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel at Jezreel. 37 Her body will be like manure on the field in the land at Jezreel. No one will be able to say that this is Jezebel.’”
Jesus Heals a Sick Boy
37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd shouted to him, “Teacher, please come and look at my son, because he is my only child. 39 An evil spirit seizes my son, and suddenly he screams. It causes him to lose control of himself and foam at the mouth. The evil spirit keeps on hurting him and almost never leaves him. 40 I begged your followers to force the evil spirit out, but they could not do it.”
41 Jesus answered, “You people have no faith, and your lives are all wrong. How long must I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 While the boy was coming, the demon threw him on the ground and made him lose control of himself. But Jesus gave a strong command to the evil spirit and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 All the people were amazed at the great power of God.
Jesus Talks About His Death
While everyone was wondering about all that Jesus did, he said to his followers,
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.