Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 32[a]
The Joy of Being Forgiven
1 Of David. A maskil.[b]
[c]Blessed is the one whose offense is forgiven,
whose sin is erased.
2 Blessed is the one to whom the Lord charges no guilt
and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 As long as I remained silent,[d]
my body wasted away
as the result of my groaning throughout the day.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength withered steadily
as though consumed by the summer heat.[e] Selah
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I made no attempt to conceal my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my offenses[f] to the Lord,”
and you removed the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore, let everyone who is faithful pray to you
where you may be found.[g]
Even if great floods threaten,
they will never reach him.
7 You are a place of refuge for me;
you preserve me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.[h] Selah
8 I will instruct you
and guide you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you
and keep my eyes upon you.
9 Do not behave without understanding
like a horse or a mule;
if its temper is not curbed with bit and bridle,
it will not come near you.
10 The wicked has a multitude of troubles,
but the man who trusts in the Lord
is surrounded by kindness.[i]
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
shout for joy, all you upright of heart.[j]
28 Then Ahimaaz called out to the king: “All is well!” After that he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground and said: “Blessed be the Lord, your God, for he has delivered up the men who rebelled against my lord the king.”
29 Thereupon the king asked: “Is all well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered: “When the king’s servant Joab sent your servant forth, I was aware of a great commotion, but I do not know what it was all about.” 30 The king said: “Stand off to the side and wait over there.” Therefore, he stepped aside and remained there.
31 When the Ethiopian arrived, he said: “I bring good news for my lord the king. For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all those who rebelled against you.” 32 Then the king asked the Ethiopian: “Has all gone well with the young man Absalom?” The Ethiopian answered: “May the enemies of my lord the king and all those who rise up to harm you share the fate of that young man.”
33 Greatly shaken, the king went up to the chamber over the gate, weeping incessantly. And as he went, he cried out: “O my son Absalom! My son! My son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”[a]
Chapter 19
Joab Reproves David. 1 Word was brought to Joab: “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” 2 Therefore, that day’s victory was turned into one of mourning for the entire army when the troops heard the report: “The king is grieving for his son.”
3 The troops stole furtively into the city that day, much as soldiers steal in who are ashamed when they flee from a battle. 4 Meanwhile the king covered his face and cried out in a loud voice: “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
5 Then Joab came to the king’s house and said to him: “Today you have caused all of your officers and servants to feel ashamed, humiliating those who saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and concubines, 6 by showing love for those who hate you and hatred for those who love you.
“You have made it perfectly clear that your commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I feel certain that if Absalom were still alive and all the rest of us were dead, then you would be pleased. 7 Therefore, get up, come out, and reassure your servants. I swear by the Lord that if you do not go out, not one man will be left with you by nightfall, and that will be worse for you than all the calamities you have endured from your youth until now.”
8 On hearing these words, the king arose and took his seat at the gate. When it was announced to the troops: “The king is sitting at the gate,” they all assembled there before him.
The Reconciliation. Meanwhile all the Israelites had fled to their homes.
17 Jesus Pardons and Heals a Paralyzed Man.[a] One day, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem. And he possessed the power of the Lord to heal.
18 Then some men appeared, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They tried to bring him in and set him down in front of Jesus. 19 However, finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up onto the roof and lowered him on the bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd surrounding Jesus.
20 On perceiving their faith, Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to ask each other, “Who is this man uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 Jesus discerned what they were thinking, and he said in reply, “Why do you entertain such thoughts in your hearts? 23 Which is easier—to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say: ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 But that you may come to realize that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man—“I say to you, stand up, and take your bed, and go to your home.” 25 Immediately, the man stood up before them, picked up his bed, and went home glorifying God. 26 They were all overcome with amazement, and they praised God as, awestruck, they said, “We have witnessed unbelievable things today.”
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