Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
26 When Uriah’s wife heard about the death of her husband[a] Uriah, she went into mourning for the head of her household.[b] 27 When her mourning period was completed, David sent for her, brought her to his palace, and she became his wife. Later on, she bore him a son.
Meanwhile, what David had done grieved the Lord,[c] 12 1 so the Lord sent Nathan to David.
Nathan’s Rebuke
Nathan[d] approached David[e] and said, “There are two men in the city. One is rich and one is poor. 2 The rich man has many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing except for one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It used to share his food and drink from his own cup. It even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. 4 A traveler arrived to visit the rich man. Because he was unwilling to take an animal from one of his own flocks or herds to prepare for the guest who had come to visit him, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to visit him.”
5 David flew into a rage at the man and told Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 He will restore the lamb four times its value, because he did this thing, and because he did it without compassion.”
7 But Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says:
“‘I anointed you king—and you became king over Israel.
“‘I delivered you from Saul’s control.
8 “‘I gave you your former[f] master’s household.
“‘I placed your former[g] master’s wives right in your arms.
“‘I gave you[h] Israel and Judah.
“‘And if this had been too little, I would have added much more than that to you!
9 “‘Why did you despise what the Lord has promised by doing what is detestable in his sight?
“‘You struck down Uriah the Hittite with a battle sword.
“‘You took his wife to be your own.[i]
“‘You killed him with the sword of the Ammonite army.
10 “‘Therefore the sword will never leave your household, because you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’[j]
13 At this point, David told Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Nathan responded to David, “There’s one other thing: the Lord has forgiven your sin.[a] You won’t die. 14 Nevertheless, because you have despised the Lord’s enemies with utter contempt,[b] the son born to you will most certainly die.” 15 Then Nathan went home.
David’s Infant Son Dies
After this, the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife had born to David, and the child[c] became very ill.
A Davidic instruction.[a]
The Blessings of Forgiveness
32 How blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 How blessed is the person against whom the Lord does not charge iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent about my sin,[b]
my body[c] wasted away
by my groaning all day long.
4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night;
my strength was exhausted
as in a summer drought.
5 My sin I acknowledged to you;
my iniquity I did not hide.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin!
6 Therefore every godly person should pray to you at such a time.[d]
Surely a flood of great waters will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place;
you will deliver me from trouble
and surround me with shouts of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you
concerning the path you should walk;
I will direct you with my eye.
9 Don’t be like a horse or mule,
without understanding.
They are held in check by a bit and bridle in their mouths;
otherwise they will not remain near you.
10 The wicked have many sorrows,
but gracious love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
11 Righteous ones, be glad in the Lord and rejoice!
Shout for joy, all of you who are upright in heart!
Jews, Like Gentiles, are Saved by Faith
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth, and not gentile sinners, 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by doing what the Law requires,[a] but rather by the faithfulness of Jesus[b] the Messiah.[c] We, too, have believed in the Messiah[d] Jesus so that we might be justified by the faithfulness of[e] the Messiah[f] and not by doing what the Law requires, for no human being[g] will be justified by doing what the Law requires. 17 Now if we, while trying to be justified by the Messiah,[h] have been found to be sinners, does that mean that the Messiah[i] is serving the interests of sin? Of course not! 18 For if I rebuild something that I tore down, I demonstrate that I am a wrongdoer. 19 For through the Law I died to the Law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with the Messiah.[j] 20 I no longer live, but the Messiah[k] lives in me, and the life that I am now living in this body I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God,[l] who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not misapply God’s grace, for if righteousness comes about by doing what the Law requires, then the Messiah[m] died for nothing.
Jesus Forgives a Sinful Woman
36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus[a] to eat with him. So he went to the Pharisee’s home and took his place at the table. 37 There was a woman who was a notorious[b] sinner in that city. When she learned that Jesus[c] was eating at the Pharisee’s home, she took an alabaster jar of perfume 38 and knelt at his feet behind him. She was crying and began to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair.[d] Then she kissed his feet over and over again, anointing them constantly with the perfume.
39 Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus[e] saw this and told himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She’s a sinner!”
40 Jesus told him, “Simon, I have something to ask you.”
“Teacher,” he replied, “ask it.”
41 “Two men were in debt to a moneylender. One owed him 500 denarii,[f] and the other 50. 42 When they couldn’t pay it back, he generously canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who had the larger debt canceled.”
Jesus[g] told him, “You have answered correctly.”
44 Then, turning to the woman, he told Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You didn’t give me any water for my feet, but this woman has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You didn’t give me a kiss,[h] but this woman, from the moment I came in, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with perfume. 47 So I’m telling you that her sins, as many as they are, have been forgiven, and that’s why she has shown such great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little.”
48 Then Jesus[i] told her, “Your sins are forgiven!”
49 Those who were at the table with them began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”
50 But Jesus[j] told the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Some Women Accompany Jesus
8 After this, Jesus[k] traveled from one city and village to another, preaching and spreading the good news about God’s kingdom. The Twelve were with him, 2 as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses: Mary, also called Magdalene,[l] from whom seven demons had gone out; 3 Joanna, the wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza; Susanna; and many others. These women[m] continued to support them[n] out of their personal resources.
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