Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

(A prayer by David.)

The Prayer of an Innocent Person

²⁷ Then after the time for mourning was over, David sent someone to bring her to the palace. She became David's wife, and they had a son.

The Lord's Message for David

The Lord was angry because of what David had done, 12 ^1 (A) and he sent Nathan the prophet to tell this story to David:

A rich man and a poor man lived in the same town. ² The rich man owned a lot of sheep and cattle, ³ but the poor man had only one little lamb that he had bought and raised. The lamb became a pet for him and his children. He even let it eat from his plate and drink from his cup and sleep on his lap. The lamb was like one of his own children.

⁴ One day someone came to visit the rich man, but the rich man didn't want to kill any of his own sheep or cattle and serve it to the visitor. So he stole the poor man's lamb and served it instead.

⁵ David was furious with the rich man and said to Nathan, “I swear by the living Lord that the man who did this deserves to die! ⁶ And because he didn't have pity on the poor man, he will have to pay four times what the lamb was worth.”

⁷ Then Nathan told David:

You are that rich man! Now listen to what the Lord God of Israel says to you: “I chose you to be the king of Israel. I kept you safe from Saul ⁸ and even gave you his house and his wives. I let you rule Israel and Judah, and if that had not been enough, I would have given you much more. ⁹ Why did you disobey me and do such a horrible thing? You murdered Uriah the Hittite by letting the Ammonites kill him, so you could take his wife.

¹⁰ “Because you wouldn't obey me and took Uriah's wife for yourself, your family will never live in peace. ^11 (B) Someone from your own family will cause you a lot of trouble, and I will take your wives and give them to another man before your very eyes. He will go to bed with them while everyone looks on. ¹² What you did was in secret, but I will do this in the open for everyone in Israel to see.”

^13-14 David said, “I have disobeyed the Lord.”

“Yes, you have!” Nathan answered. “You showed you didn't care what the Lord wanted.^[a] He has forgiven you, and you won't die. But your newborn son will.” ¹⁵ Then Nathan went back home.

David's Young Son Dies

The Lord made David's young son very sick.

The Letter to Philadelphia

^7 (A) This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:

I am the one who is holy and true, and I have the keys that belonged to David.^[a] When I open a door, no one can close it. And when I close a door, no one can open it. Listen to what I say.

⁸ I know everything you have done. And I have placed before you an open door no one can close. You were not very strong, but you obeyed my message and did not deny you are my followers.^{[b] 9 (B)} Now you will see what I will do with those people who belong to Satan's group. They claim to be God's people, but they are liars. I will make them come and kneel down at your feet. Then they will know that I love you.

¹⁰ You obeyed my message and endured. So I will protect you from the time of testing everyone in all the world must go through. ¹¹ I am coming soon. So hold firmly to what you have, and no one will take away the crown you will be given as your reward.

^12 (C) Everyone who wins the victory will be made into a pillar in the temple of my God, and they will stay there forever. I will write on each of them the name of my God and the name of his city. It is the new Jerusalem my God will send down from heaven. I will also write on them my own new name.

¹³ If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.