Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil^[a] of David.

²⁸ Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “All is well.” And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth and said, ^(A)“Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.” ²⁹ And the king said, ^(B)“Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king's servant, your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was.” ³⁰ And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

David's Grief

³¹ And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For ^(C)the Lord has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” ³² The king said to the Cushite, ^(D)“Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, ^(E)“May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” ^33 [a] And the king was deeply moved and went up ^(F)to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, ^(G)“O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Joab Rebukes David

19 It was told Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” ² So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.” ³ And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle. ⁴ The king ^(H)covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, ^(I)“O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” ⁵ Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, ⁶ because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. ⁷ Now therefore arise, go out and speak ^(J)kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.” ⁸ Then the king arose and took his ^(K)seat in the gate. And the people were all told, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” And all the people came before the king.

David Returns to Jerusalem

Now Israel had ^(L)fled every man to his own home.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

¹⁷ On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and ^(A)teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And ^(B)the power of the Lord was with him to heal.^{[a] 18 (C)}And behold, some men were bringing ^(D)on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, ¹⁹ but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on ^(E)the roof and let him down with his bed ^(F)through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. ²⁰ And ^(G)when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, ^(H)your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks ^(I)blasphemies? ^(J)Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ²² When Jesus ^(K)perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ²⁴ But that you may know that ^(L)the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ²⁵ And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, ^(M)glorifying God. ²⁶ And amazement seized them all, and they ^(N)glorified God and were filled ^(O)with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”