Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹²⁹ Your Laws are wonderful, and so I obey them. ¹³⁰ The opening up of Your Word gives light. It gives understanding to the child-like. ¹³¹ I opened my mouth wide, breathing with desire for Your Law. ¹³² Turn to me and show me loving-favor, as You always do to those who love Your name. ¹³³ Set my steps in Your Word. Do not let sin rule over me. ¹³⁴ Set me free from the power of man, and I will obey Your Law. ¹³⁵ Make Your face shine upon Your servant and teach me Your Law. ¹³⁶ Tears flow from my eyes because of those who do not keep Your Law.

David Makes Solomon King

²⁸ King David said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came and stood in front of the king. ²⁹ The king made a promise and said, “As the Lord lives, Who has saved me from all trouble, ³⁰ I promised you by the Lord the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon will be king after me. He will sit on my throne in my place.’ And I will even do so this day.” ³¹ Bathsheba put her face to the ground in front of the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever.”

³² Then King David said, “Call to me Zadok the religious leader, Nathan the man of God, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came to the king. ³³ The king said to them, “Take the servants of your lord with you. Have my son Solomon go on my own horse. And bring him down to Gihon. ³⁴ Let Zadok the religious leader and Nathan the man of God set him apart there as king over Israel. Sound the horn and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ³⁵ Then come up after him. He will come and sit on my throne and be king in my place. For I have chosen him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” ³⁶ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Let it be so! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so! ³⁷ May the Lord be with Solomon as He has been with my lord the king. May He make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

Follow Paul’s Way of Life

¹⁴ I do not write these things to shame you. I am doing this to help you know what you should do. You are my much-loved children. ¹⁵ You may have 10,000 Christian teachers. But remember, I am the only father you have. You became Christians when I preached the Good News to you. ¹⁶ So I ask you with all my heart to follow the way I live. ¹⁷ For this reason I have sent Timothy to you. He is my much-loved child and a faithful Christian. He will tell you how I act as a Christian. This is the kind of life I teach in the churches wherever I go.

¹⁸ Some of you are full of pride. You think that I am not coming to visit you. ¹⁹ If the Lord wants me to, I will come soon. I will find out when I come if these proud people have God’s power, or if they just use a lot of big words. ²⁰ The holy nation of God is not made up of words. It is made up of power.