Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Plea for Relief from Bitter Foes

A Song of Ascents.

^18 (A)Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was ^(B)Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. ^19 (C)He also did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. ²⁰ For because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally cast them out from His presence. ^(D)Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

The Fall and Captivity of Judah^(E)

25 Now it came to pass ^(F)in the 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. ² So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. ³ By the ninth day of the ^(G)fourth month the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

⁴ Then ^(H)the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And ^(I)the king^[a] went by way of the ^[b]plain. ⁵ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him. ⁶ So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon ^(J)at Riblah, and they pronounced judgment on him. ⁷ Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, ^(K)put^[c] out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon.

⁸ And in the fifth month, ^(L)on the seventh day of the month (which was ^(M)the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), ^(N)Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ^9 (O)He burned the house of the Lord ^(P)and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, ^(Q)he burned with fire. ¹⁰ And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard ^(R)broke down the walls of Jerusalem all around.

¹¹ Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive ^(S)the rest of the people who remained in the city and the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, with the rest of the multitude. ¹² But the captain of the guard ^(T)left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers. ^13 (U)The bronze ^(V)pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and ^(W)the carts and ^(X)the bronze Sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and ^(Y)carried their bronze to Babylon. ¹⁴ They also took away ^(Z)the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered. ¹⁵ The firepans and the basins, the things of solid gold and solid silver, the captain of the guard took away. ¹⁶ The two pillars, one Sea, and the carts, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, ^(AA)the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure. ^17 (AB)The height of one pillar was ^[d]eighteen cubits, and the capital on it was of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits, and the network and pomegranates all around the capital were all of bronze. The second pillar was the same, with a network.

^18 (AC)And the captain of the guard took ^(AD)Seraiah the chief priest, ^(AE)Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers. ¹⁹ He also took out of the city an officer who had charge of the men of war, ^(AF)five men of ^[e]the king’s close associates who were found in the city, the chief recruiting officer of the army, who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. ²⁰ So Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹ Then the king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. ^(AG)Thus Judah was carried away captive from its own land.

The Last Enemy Destroyed

²⁰ But now ^(A)Christ is risen from the dead, and has become ^(B)the firstfruits of those who have ^[a]fallen asleep. ²¹ For ^(C)since by man came death, ^(D)by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall ^(E)be made alive. ²³ But ^(F)each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when He delivers ^(G)the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must reign ^(H)till He has put all enemies under His feet. ^26 (I)The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For ^(J)“He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. ^28 (K)Now when all things are made subject to Him, then ^(L)the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Effects of Denying the Resurrection

²⁹ Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? ³⁰ And ^(M)why do we stand in ^[b]jeopardy every hour? ³¹ I affirm, by ^(N)the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, ^(O)I die daily. ³² If, in the manner of men, ^(P)I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, ^(Q)“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

³³ Do not be deceived: ^(R)“Evil company corrupts good habits.” ^34 (S)Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; ^(T)for some do not have the knowledge of God. ^(U)I speak this to your shame.