Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

God the Rock of Salvation

Josiah Reigns in Judah^(A)

34 Josiah ^(B)was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. ² And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

³ For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still ^(C)young, he began to ^(D)seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began ^(E)to purge Judah and Jerusalem ^(F)of the ^[a]high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. ^4 (G)They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them ^(H)and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. ⁵ He also ^(I)burned the bones of the priests on their ^(J)altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. ⁶ And so he did in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around, with ^[b]axes. ⁷ When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had ^(K)beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, ^(A)the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. ^45 (B)And ^[a]those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, ^(C)because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

Then Peter answered, ⁴⁷ “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit ^(D)just as we have?” ^48 (E)And he commanded them to be baptized ^(F)in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.