Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
19 Remember my affliction and roaming,
(A)The wormwood and the [a]gall.
20 My soul still remembers
And [b]sinks within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have (B)hope.
The Fall of Jerusalem Reviewed(A)
52 Zedekiah was (B)twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of (C)Libnah. 2 He also did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 3 For because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, till He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah (D)rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4 Now it came to pass in the (E)ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around. 5 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 6 By the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 7 Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were near the city all around. And they went by way of the [a]plain.
8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him. 9 (F)So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him. 10 (G)Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. And he killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 11 He also (H)put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in [b]bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
The Persecuted Church
8 “And to the [a]angel of the church in Smyrna write,
‘These things says (A)the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are (B)rich); and I know the blasphemy of (C)those who say they are Jews and are not, (D)but are a [b]synagogue of Satan. 10 (E)Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. (F)Be faithful until death, and I will give you (G)the crown of life.
11 (H)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by (I)the second death.” ’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.