Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

By David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away. So David^[a] left.

Learning about God’s Deliverance

The Medium Attends to Saul

²⁰ Saul immediately fell down full-length on the ground. He was terrified because of Samuel’s words, and he had no strength because he had not eaten food all day and all night. ²¹ Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was very disturbed. She told him, “Look, your servant^[a] obeyed you. I put my life into your hands, and I listened to your words that you spoke to me. ²² Now, please listen to your servant.^[b] I’ll put a piece of bread before you so you can eat and have strength to go on your way.”^[c]

²³ Saul^[d] refused, saying, “I won’t eat!”

Both his servants and the woman urged him, and so he listened to them. He got up off the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread. ²⁵ She brought it to Saul and to his servants, and they ate. Then they got up and went out that night.

Please Others, Not Yourselves

15 Now we who are strong ought to be patient with the weaknesses of those who are not strong and must stop pleasing ourselves. ² Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building him up. ³ For even the Messiah^[a] did not please himself. Instead, as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”^{[b] 4} For everything that was written long ago was written to instruct us, so that we might have hope through the endurance and encouragement that the Scriptures give us.^[c]

⁵ Now may God, the source of endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other as you follow the Messiah^[d] Jesus,^{[e] 6} so that with one mind and one voice you might glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.^[f]