Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
32 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 When I kept silent, my bones waxed old through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; the sap of my soul was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, “I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,” and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found; surely the floods of great waters shall not come nigh unto him.
7 Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah
8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with Mine eye.
9 Be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they not come near unto thee.”
10 Many shall be the sorrows of the wicked; but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, ye righteous; and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart!
23 And it came to pass after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.
24 And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant.”
25 And the king said to Absalom, “Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be a burden unto thee.” And he pressed him; however he would not go, but blessed him.
26 Then said Absalom, “If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said unto him, “Why should he go with thee?”
27 But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.
28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you,‘Smite Amnon,’ then kill him. Fear not. Have not I commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.”
29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man got himself up upon his mule and fled.
30 And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that tidings came to David, saying, “Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left.”
31 Then the king arose and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.
32 And Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
33 Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead.”
34 But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there came many people by the way of the hillside behind him.
35 And Jonadab said unto the king, “Behold, the king’s sons come. As thy servant said, so it is.”
36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that behold, the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very sorely.
37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years.
39 And the soul of King David longed to go forth unto Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
4 From whence come wars and fightings among you? Do they not come even from your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not; ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain. Ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy”?
6 But He giveth more grace; therefore He saith, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.