Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
17 Hear the right, O Lord; attend unto my cry! Give ear unto my prayer, which goeth not out of feigned lips.
2 Let my sentence come forth from Thy presence; let Thine eyes behold things with equity.
3 Thou hast tested mine heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of Thy lips I have been kept from the paths of the destroyer.
5 Uphold my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
6 I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt hear me, O God; incline Thine ear unto me and hear my speaking.
7 Show Thy marvelous lovingkindness, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand them that put their trust in Thee from those that rise up against them.
8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of Thy wings,
9 from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies who compass me about.
10 They are enclosed in their own fat; with their mouth they speak proudly.
11 They have now encompassed us in our steps; they have set their eyes, bowing down to the earth,
12 like a lion that is greedy for his prey, even as a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, O Lord, disappoint them! Cast them down; deliver my soul from the wicked by Thy sword,
14 from men which are Thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world that have their portion in this life, and whose belly Thou fillest with Thy hid treasure: They are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
15 As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness.
2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide that David arose from his bed and walked upon the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her, for she was purified from her uncleanness; and she returned unto her house.
5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”
6 And David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 And when Uriah had come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
8 And David said to Uriah, “Go down to thy house and wash thy feet.” And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a meal of meat from the king.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
10 And when they had told David, saying, “Uriah went not down unto his house,” David said unto Uriah, “Camest thou not from thy journey? Why then did thou not go down unto thine house?”
11 And Uriah said unto David, “The ark and Israel and Judah abide in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields: shall I then go into mine house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As thou livest and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.”
12 And David said to Uriah, “Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the morrow.
13 And when David had called him, he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
14 And it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten and die.”
16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
17 And the men of the city went out and fought with Joab; and there fell some of the people of the servants of David, and Uriah the Hittite died also.
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war,
19 and charged the messenger, saying, “When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
20 and if so be that the king’s wrath arise and he say unto thee, ‘Why approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye fought? Knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? Why went ye nigh the wall?’ — then say thou, ‘Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”
22 So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.
23 And the messenger said unto David, “Surely the men prevailed against us and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate.
24 And the shooters shot from the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”
25 Then David said unto the messenger, “Thus shalt thou say unto Joab: ‘Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another. Press thy battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it’; and encourage thou him.”
26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
3 “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I know thy works, and that thou hast a name that thou livest, but thou art dead.
2 Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard; and hold fast and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!’
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.