Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Yahweh’s Greatness Is Unsearchable

A Praise of David.

Aleph

Beth

Gimel

Daleth

He

Tsadhe

Qoph

Resh

Shin

Tav

Return to Me, Declares Yahweh

1 In the eighth month of the second year of ^(A)Darius, the word of ^[a]Yahweh came to ^(B)Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of ^(C)Iddo, saying, ² “Yahweh was very ^(D)wrathful against your fathers. ³ Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “^(E)Return to Me,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts. ⁴ “Do not be ^(F)like your fathers, to whom the ^(G)former prophets called out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “^(H)Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did ^(I)not listen or give heed to Me,” declares Yahweh. ⁵ “Your ^(J)fathers, where are they? And the ^(K)prophets, do they live forever? ⁶ But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My slaves the prophets, ^(L)overtake your fathers? Then they ^[b]returned and said, ‘^(M)As Yahweh of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has done with us.’”’”

A Man on a Red Horse

⁷ On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying, ⁸ I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a ^(N)red horse, and he was standing among the ^(O)myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and ^(P)white horses behind him. ⁹ Then I said, “My ^(Q)lord, what are these?” And the ^(R)angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” ¹⁰ And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are those whom Yahweh has sent to ^[c](S)patrol the earth.” ¹¹ So they answered the angel of Yahweh who was ^(T)standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have ^[d]patrolled the earth, and behold, ^(U)all the earth is sitting still and quiet.”

¹² Then the angel of Yahweh answered and said, “O Yahweh of hosts, ^(V)how long will You ^(W)have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been ^(X)indignant these ^(Y)seventy years?” ¹³ Yahweh answered the ^(Z)angel who was speaking with me with good words, ^(AA)comforting words. ¹⁴ So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “^(AB)Call out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I am ^(AC)exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. ¹⁵ But I am very ^(AD)wrathful with the nations who are ^(AE)at ease; for I was only a little wrathful, but they ^(AF)helped increase the calamity.” ¹⁶ Therefore thus says Yahweh, “I will ^(AG)return to Jerusalem with compassion; My ^(AH)house will be built in it,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “and a measuring ^(AI)line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ ¹⁷ Again, call out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “My ^(AJ)cities will again overflow with good, and Yahweh will again ^(AK)comfort Zion and again ^(AL)choose Jerusalem.”’”

Paul, a Citizen of Rome

²² And they were listening to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “^(A)Away with such a fellow from the earth, for ^(B)he should not be allowed to live!” ²³ And as they were crying out and ^(C)throwing off their garments and ^(D)tossing dust into the air, ²⁴ the ^[a]commander ordered him to be brought into ^(E)the barracks, stating that he should be ^(F)examined by flogging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. ²⁵ But when they stretched him out ^[b]with leather straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it ^[c]lawful for you to flog ^(G)a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” ²⁶ And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported to him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” ²⁷ And the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” ²⁸ And the commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I have been born a citizen.” ²⁹ Therefore those who were about to ^(H)examine him immediately withdrew from him; and the commander also ^(I)was afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he had ^(J)bound him.

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

³⁰ But on the next day, ^(K)wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he ^(L)released him and ordered the chief priests and all ^(M)the Sanhedrin to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

23 Now Paul, looking intently at ^(N)the Sanhedrin, said, “^(O)Brothers, ^(P)I have ^[d]lived my life in all good conscience before God up to this day.” ² And the high priest ^(Q)Ananias commanded those standing beside him ^(R)to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, ^(S)you whitewashed wall! Do you ^(T)sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” ⁴ But those standing nearby said, “Do you revile the high priest of God?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I was not aware, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘^(U)You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

⁶ But knowing that one group were ^(V)Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in ^(W)the Sanhedrin, “^(X)Brothers, ^(Y)I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for ^(Z)the hope and resurrection of the dead!” ⁷ As he said this, there was dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For ^(AA)the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ And there occurred a great outcry; and some of ^(AB)the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, “^(AC)We find nothing wrong with this man. ^(AD)Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ¹⁰ And as a great dissension was developing, because the ^[e]commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them, he ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into ^(AE)the barracks.

¹¹ But on ^(AF)that very night, the Lord stood at his side and said, “^(AG)Take courage; for ^(AH)as you have ^(AI)solemnly borne witness to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness at Rome also.”