Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 118^[a]

Hymn of Thanksgiving

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

Psalm 145^[a]

The Greatness and Goodness of God

¹ Praise. Of David.

Chapter 17

¹ Ahithophel went on to say to Absalom: “Let me choose twelve thousand men and be off in pursuit of David tonight. ² If I come upon him when he is weary and discouraged, I shall cause him panic, and all the people with him will flee, and I shall strike down the king alone. ³ Then I can bring back the rest of the people to you, as a bride returns to her husband. It is the death of only one man you are seeking; then all the people will be at peace.” ⁴ This plan sounded good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

Counsel of Hushai. ⁵ Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also; let us hear what he too has to say.” ⁶ When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him: “This is Ahithophel’s plan. Shall we follow his plan? If not, give your own.” ⁷ Hushai replied to Absalom, “This time Ahithophel has not given good counsel.” ⁸ And he went on to say: “You know that your father and his men are warriors, and that they are as fierce as a bear in the wild robbed of her cubs. Moreover, since your father is a skilled fighter, he will not spend the night with the army.^{(A) 9} Even now he lies hidden in one of the caves or in one of his other places. And if some of our soldiers should fall at the first attack, whoever hears of it will say, ‘Absalom’s followers have been slaughtered.’ ¹⁰ Then even the brave man with the heart of a lion—his heart will melt. For all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and those who are with him are brave. ¹¹ This is what I counsel: Let all Israel be assembled, from Dan to Beer-sheba, as numerous as the sands by the sea, and you yourself go with them. ¹² We can then attack him wherever we find him, settling down upon him as dew alights on the ground. None shall survive—neither he nor any of his followers. ¹³ And if he retires into a city, all Israel shall bring ropes to that city and we can drag it into the gorge, so that not even a pebble of it can be found.” ¹⁴ Then Absalom and all the Israelites said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had commanded that Ahithophel’s good counsel should be thwarted, so that he might bring Absalom to ruin.^(B)

David Told of the Plan. ¹⁵ Then Hushai said to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “This is the counsel Ahithophel gave Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I counseled. ¹⁶ So send a warning to David immediately: ‘Do not spend the night at the fords near the wilderness, but cross over without fail. Otherwise the king and all the people with him will be destroyed.’” ¹⁷ Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel. A maidservant was to come with information for them, and they in turn were to go and report to King David. They could not risk being seen entering the city, ¹⁸ but an attendant did see them and informed Absalom. They hurried on their way and reached the house of a man in Bahurim who had a cistern in his courtyard. They let themselves down into it, ¹⁹ and the woman took the cover and spread it over the mouth of the cistern, strewing crushed grain on the cover so that nothing could be noticed. ²⁰ When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman replied, “They went by a short while ago toward the water.” They searched, but found no one, and so returned to Jerusalem. ²¹ As soon as they left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan came up out of the cistern and went on to report to King David. They said to him: “Leave! Cross the water at once, for Ahithophel has given such and such counsel in regard to you.” ²² So David and all his people moved on and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one left who had not crossed.

²³ When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not acted upon, he saddled his donkey and departed, going to his home in his own city. Then, having left orders concerning his household, he hanged himself. And so he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.^(C)

⁶ Thus Abraham “believed God,^(A) and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[a]

^7 [b]Realize then that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham.^{(B) 8} Scripture, which saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, “Through you shall all the nations be blessed.”^{(C) 9} Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith.^{(D) 10 [c]}For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law.”^{(E) 11} And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for “the one who is righteous by faith will live.”^{(F) 12} But the law does not depend on faith; rather, “the one who does these things will live by them.”^{(G) 13} Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree,”^{(H) 14} that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.^(I)

³⁰ “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.^(A)

Witnesses to Jesus. ^31 (B)“If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. ³² But there is another^[a] who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. ³³ You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.^{(C) 34} I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved.^{(D) 35} He was a burning and shining lamp,^[b] and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.^{(E) 36} But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.^{(F) 37} Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,^{(G) 38} and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.^{(H) 39} You search^[c] the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf.^{(I) 40} But you do not want to come to me to have life.

Unbelief of Jesus’ Hearers. ⁴¹ “I do not accept human praise;^{[d] 42} moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.^{(J) 43} I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.^{(K) 44} How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?^{(L) 45} Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.^{(M) 46} For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.^{(N) 47} But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”