Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prayer for Safety from Enemies^(A)

To the Chief Musician. Set to ^[a]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David ^(B)when he fled from Saul into the cave.

²³ Now when Abigail saw David, she ^(A)dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground. ²⁴ So she fell at his feet and said: “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant ^[a]speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant. ²⁵ Please, let not my lord ^[b]regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: ^[c]Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. ²⁶ Now therefore, my lord, ^(B)as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has ^(C)held you back from coming to bloodshed and from ^(D)avenging^[d] yourself with your own hand, now then, ^(E)let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. ²⁷ And now ^(F)this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. ²⁸ Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For ^(G)the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord ^(H)fights the battles of the Lord, ^(I)and evil is not found in you throughout your days. ²⁹ Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be ^(J)bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall ^(K)sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. ³⁰ And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ^(L)ruler over Israel, ³¹ that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.”

³² Then David said to Abigail: ^(M)“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! ³³ And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have ^(N)kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. ³⁴ For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has ^(O)kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely ^(P)by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!” ³⁵ So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, ^(Q)“Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and ^(R)respected your person.”

Be Patient and Persevering

⁷ Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. ⁸ You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord ^[a]is at hand.

⁹ Do not ^[b]grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be ^[c]condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! ^10 (A)My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and ^(B)patience. ¹¹ Indeed ^(C)we count them blessed who ^(D)endure. You have heard of ^(E)the perseverance of Job and seen ^(F)the end intended by the Lord—that ^(G)the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

¹² But above all, my brethren, ^(H)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into ^[d]judgment.