Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 34^[a]

Of David, when he pretended to be crazy before Abimelech, who banished him so that he left.

²⁰ Saul immediately fell full length on the ground, utterly terrified at what Samuel had said. He was weak because he hadn’t eaten anything all day or night. ²¹ The woman approached Saul, and after seeing how scared he was, she said, “Listen, your servant has obeyed you. I risked my life and did what you told me to do. ²² Now it’s your turn to listen to me, your servant. Let me give you a bit of food. Eat it, then you’ll have the strength to go on your way.”

²³ But Saul refused. “I can’t eat!” he said. But his servants and the woman urged him to do so, and so he did. He got up off the ground and sat on a couch. ²⁴ The woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly butchered it.^[a] She took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread. ²⁵ She served this to Saul and his servants, and they ate. They got up and left that very night.

15 We who are powerful need to be patient with the weakness of those who don’t have power, and not please ourselves. ² Each of us should please our neighbors for their good in order to build them up. ³ Christ didn’t please himself, but, as it is written, The insults of those who insulted you fell on me.^{[a] 4} Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction so that we could have hope through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures. ⁵ May the God of endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude toward each other, similar to Christ Jesus’ attitude. ⁶ That way you can glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ together with one voice.