Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Praise God Who Judges and Saves

David’s song from the time he acted crazy so Abimelech would send him away, and David did leave.

¹⁵ Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had suggested to Absalom and the elders of Israel. He also reported to them what he himself had suggested. Hushai said, ¹⁶ “Quickly! Send a message to David. Tell him not to stay tonight at the crossings into the desert but to cross over the Jordan River at once. If he crosses the river, he and all his people won’t be destroyed.”

¹⁷ Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. They did not want to be seen going into the city, so a servant girl would go out to them and give them messages. Then Jonathan and Ahimaaz would go and tell King David.

¹⁸ But a boy saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom. So Jonathan and Ahimaaz left quickly and went to a man’s house in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. ¹⁹ The man’s wife spread a sheet over the opening of the well and covered it with grain. No one could tell that anyone was hiding there.

²⁰ Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

She said to them, “They have already crossed the brook.”

Absalom’s servants then went to look for Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but they could not find them. So they went back to Jerusalem.

²¹ After Absalom’s servants left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well and went to tell King David. They said, “Hurry, cross over the river! Ahithophel has said these things against you!” ²² So David and all his people crossed the Jordan River. By dawn, everyone had crossed the Jordan.

²³ When Ahithophel saw that the Israelites did not accept his advice, he saddled his donkey and went to his hometown. He left orders for his family and property, and then he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

War Between David and Absalom

²⁴ David arrived at Mahanaim. And Absalom and all his Israelites crossed over the Jordan River. ²⁵ Absalom had made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Jether the Ishmaelite. Amasa’s mother was Abigail daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. ²⁶ Absalom and the Israelites camped in the land of Gilead.

²⁷ Shobi, Makir, and Barzillai were at Mahanaim when David arrived. Shobi son of Nahash was from the Ammonite town of Rabbah. Makir son of Ammiel was from Lo Debar, and Barzillai was from Rogelim in Gilead. ²⁸ They brought beds, bowls, clay pots, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, small peas, ²⁹ honey, milk curds, sheep, and cheese made from cows’ milk for David and his people. They said, “The people are hungry and tired and thirsty in the desert.”

Help Each Other

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help make him right again. But be careful, because you might be tempted to sin, too. ² By helping each other with your troubles, you truly obey the law of Christ. ³ If anyone thinks he is important when he really is not, he is only fooling himself. ⁴ Each person should judge his own actions and not compare himself with others. Then he can be proud for what he himself has done. ⁵ Each person must be responsible for himself.

⁶ Anyone who is learning the teaching of God should share all the good things he has with his teacher.

Life Is like Planting a Field

⁷ Do not be fooled: You cannot cheat God. People harvest only what they plant. ⁸ If they plant to satisfy their sinful selves, their sinful selves will bring them ruin. But if they plant to please the Spirit, they will receive eternal life from the Spirit. ⁹ We must not become tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time if we do not give up. ¹⁰ When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers.