2 Kings 19:1–19

19:1 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple. 2He sent Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, clothed in sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 3They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This is a day of distress, insults, and humiliation, as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. 4Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. So pray for this remnant that remains.’”

5When King Hezekiah’s servants came to Isaiah, 6Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord has said: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard, because the Assyrian king’s officers have insulted me. 7Look, I will take control of his mind; he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down with a sword in his own land.”’”

8When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning. 9The king heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was marching out to fight him. He again sent messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them: 10“Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 11Certainly you have heard how the kings of Assyria have annihilated all lands. Do you really think you will be rescued? 12Were the nations whom my ancestors destroyed—the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar—rescued by their gods? 13Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”

14Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it out before the Lord. 15Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: “Lord God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim! You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky and the earth. 16Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to the message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! 17It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands. 18They have burned the gods of the nations, for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them. 19Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord, are the only God.”

Ps. 51

51:1 For the music director, a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David’s affair with Bathsheba.

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love.

Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts.

2Wash away my wrongdoing.

Cleanse me of my sin.

3For I am aware of my rebellious acts;

I am forever conscious of my sin.

4Against you—you above all—I have sinned;

I have done what is evil in your sight.

So you are just when you confront me;

you are right when you condemn me.

5Look, I was guilty of sin from birth,

a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.

6Look, you desire integrity in the inner man;

you want me to possess wisdom.

7Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be pure;

wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

8Grant me the ultimate joy of being forgiven.

May the bones you crushed rejoice.

9Hide your face from my sins.

Wipe away all my guilt.

10Create for me a pure heart, O God.

Renew a resolute spirit within me.

11Do not reject me.

Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me.

12Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance.

Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey.

13Then I will teach rebels your merciful ways,

and sinners will turn to you.

14Rescue me from the guilt of murder, O God, the God who delivers me.

Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your righteousness.

15O Lord, give me the words.

Then my mouth will praise you.

16Certainly you do not want a sacrifice, or else I would offer it;

you do not desire a burnt sacrifice.

17The sacrifice God desires is a humble spirit—

O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.

18Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her.

Fortify the walls of Jerusalem.

19Then you will accept the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings;

then bulls will be sacrificed on your altar.

Matt. 24:15–35

24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation—spoken about by Daniel the prophet—standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), 16“then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17The one on the roof must not come down to take anything out of his house, 18and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! 20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21For then there will be great suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. 22And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him. 24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25Remember, I have told you ahead of time. 26So then, if someone says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him. 27For just like the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

29“Immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. 30Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

32“Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near, right at the door. 34I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.