Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Blessedness of Answered Prayer

A Psalm. A Song ^(A)at the dedication of the house of David.

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

14 So Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was concerned ^(A)about Absalom. ² And Joab sent to ^(B)Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, ^(C)and put on mourning apparel; do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long time for the dead. ³ Go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab ^(D)put the words in her mouth.

⁴ And when the woman of Tekoa ^[a]spoke to the king, she ^(E)fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, ^(F)“Help, O king!”

⁵ Then the king said to her, “What troubles you?”

And she answered, ^(G)“Indeed I am a widow, my husband is dead. ⁶ Now your maidservant had two sons; and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him. ⁷ And now the whole family has risen up against your maidservant, and they said, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute him ^(H)for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also.’ So they would extinguish my ember that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the earth.”

⁸ Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”

⁹ And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, let ^(I)the ^[b]iniquity be on me and on my father’s house, ^(J)and the king and his throne be guiltless.”

¹⁰ So the king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you anymore.”

¹¹ Then she said, “Please let the king remember the Lord your God, and do not permit ^(K)the avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.”

And he said, ^(L)“As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

⁶ “Now ^(A)it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. ⁷ And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ ⁸ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

⁹ “And ^(B)those who were with me indeed saw the light ^[a]and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. ¹⁰ So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ ¹¹ And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

¹² “Then ^(C)a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, ^(D)having a good testimony with all the ^(E)Jews who dwelt there, ¹³ came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. ¹⁴ Then he said, ^(F)‘The God of our fathers ^(G)has chosen you that you should ^(H)know His will, and ^(I)see the Just One, ^(J)and hear the voice of His mouth. ^15 (K)For you will be His witness to all men of ^(L)what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, ^(M)and wash away your sins, ^(N)calling on the name of the Lord.’

¹⁷ “Now ^(O)it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance ¹⁸ and ^(P)saw Him saying to me, ^(Q)‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ ¹⁹ So I said, ‘Lord, ^(R)they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and ^(S)beat those who believe on You. ^20 (T)And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by ^(U)consenting ^[b]to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ ²¹ Then He said to me, ‘Depart, ^(V)for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”