Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
It Is Better to Confess Sin
A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of David.
32 ·Happy [Blessed] is the person
whose ·sins [transgressions] are forgiven,
whose ·wrongs [sins] are ·pardoned [L covered].
2 ·Happy [Blessed] is the person
whom the Lord ·does not consider guilty [imputes no guilt to]
and in ·whom [L whose spirit] there is nothing ·false [deceptive].
3 When I kept ·things to myself [silent],
·I felt weak deep inside me [L my bones wasted away].
I ·moaned [sighed] all day long.
4 Day and night ·you punished me [L your hand was heavy on me].
My strength was ·gone [dried up; sapped] as in the summer heat. ·
5 Then I ·confessed [made known; disclosed] my sins to you
and didn’t ·hide [cover up] my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my ·sins [transgressions] to the Lord,”
and you forgave ·my guilt [L the guilt of my sin]. ·
6 For this reason, all ·who obey you [your saints/holy ones]
should pray to you while ·they still can [or you may be found; L at a time of finding only; Prov. 1:24–27].
When troubles rise like a flood,
they will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place.
You protect me from ·my troubles [distress]
and ·fill [L surround] me with ·songs [loud cries] of ·salvation [rescue; T deliverance]. ·
8 The Lord says, “I will ·make you wise [instruct you] and ·show [teach] you ·where to [L the way you should] go.
I will ·guide [counsel] you and ·watch over [L my eye will be on] you.
9 So don’t be like a horse or donkey,
that doesn’t understand.
·They must be led [L …whose temper/or gallop must be restrained] with bits and reins,
or they will not come near you.”
10 Wicked people have many ·troubles [pains; torments; woes],
but the Lord’s ·love [loyalty; covenant love] surrounds those who ·trust [have confidence in] him.
11 ·Good [Righteous] people, rejoice and be happy in the Lord.
·Sing [Shout joyfully] all you whose hearts are ·right [upright; virtuous].
28 Then Ahimaaz called a greeting to the king. He ·bowed facedown on the ground [prostrated himself] before the king and said, “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord your God! The Lord has ·defeated [handed over] those who ·were [L raised their hand] against ·you, my [L my lord the] king.”
29 The king asked, “Is young Absalom ·all right [well]?”
Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent me, I saw some great ·excitement [commotion; confusion], but I don’t know what it was.”
30 The king said, “Step over here and wait.” So Ahimaaz stepped aside and stood there.
31 Then the Cushite arrived. He said, “·Master and [My Lord the] king, hear the good news! Today the Lord has ·punished [rescued/T delivered you from] those who ·were [rebelled; L rose up] against you!”
32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom ·all right [well]?”
The Cushite answered, “May your enemies and all who ·come to hurt you [L rise up to do you harm] ·be like [share the fate of] that young man!”
33 Then the king was ·very upset [overcome with emotion], and he went to the room over the city gate and cried. As he went, he cried out, “My son Absalom, my son Absalom! ·I wish [Would that] I had died and not you. Absalom, my son, my son!”
Joab Scolds David
19 People told Joab, “Look, the king is ·sad [mourning] and crying ·because of [for] Absalom.” 2 David’s army had won the battle that day. But ·it became a very sad day for all the people [L the victory that day turned to mourning], because they heard that the king was ·very sad [grieving] for his son. 3 The ·people [men; soldiers] ·came into the city quietly [L stole/crept into the city] that day. They were like an army that had been ·defeated in battle and had run away [L shamed for fleeing in battle]. 4 The king covered his face and cried loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
5 Joab went into the king’s house and said, “Today you have ·shamed [humiliated] all your men. They ·saved [rescued; T delivered] your life and the lives of your sons, daughters, wives, and ·slave women [L concubines; C secondary wives; 3:7]. 6 You have shamed them because you love those who hate you, and you hate those who love you. Today you have made it clear that your commanders and men mean nothing to you. What if Absalom had lived and all of us were dead? I can see you would be ·pleased [content]. 7 Now go out and ·encourage [reassure; speak kindly to] your servants. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, ·no man will be left with you by tonight [L not one man will stay with you tonight]! That will be worse than ·all the troubles [any disaster/evil] you have had from your youth until today.”
8 So the king went to the city gate [C a place where public meetings and court cases were held; 15:2]. When the news spread that the king was at the gate, ·everyone [all the soldiers] came to see him.
David Goes Back to Jerusalem
·All the Israelites who had followed Absalom [L Israel] had run away to their ·homes [L tents].
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man(A)
17 One day as Jesus was teaching the people, the Pharisees and teachers of the law from every town in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem were there. ·The Lord was giving Jesus the power [L The power of the Lord was upon him] to heal people. 18 ·Just then [L And look/T behold], some men were carrying on a ·mat [cot; bed] a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and put him down before Jesus. 19 But because there were so many people there, they could not find a way in. So they went up on the roof and lowered the man on his ·mat [cot; bed] through the ·ceiling [L tiles] into the middle of the crowd right ·before [in front of] Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said, “·Friend [L Man], your sins are forgiven.”
21 The ·Jewish teachers of the law [scribes] and the Pharisees ·thought to themselves [L began thinking/reasoning], “Who is this man who is speaking ·as if he were God [blasphemies]? ·Only God can forgive sins [L Who can forgive sins except God alone?; Is. 43:25].”
22 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why are you thinking these things [L in your hearts]? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 But ·I will prove to you [L so that you may know] that the Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, stand up, take your ·mat [cot; bed], and go home.”
25 At once the man stood up before them, picked up ·his mat [L what he had been lying on], and went home, ·praising [glorifying] God. 26 All the people were ·fully amazed [astounded; astonished] and began to ·praise [glorify] God. They were filled with ·much respect [awe; fear] and said, “Today we have seen ·amazing [remarkable; incredible] things!”
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