Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For (A)brothers to live together in unity!
2 It is like the precious (B)oil on the head,
Running down upon the beard,
As on Aaron’s beard,
The oil which ran down upon the (C)edge of his robes.
3 It is like the (D)dew of (E)Hermon
Coming down upon the (F)mountains of Zion;
For the Lord (G)commanded the blessing there—(H)life forever.
4 David said to him, “(A)How did things go? Please tell me.” And he said, “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 The young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on (B)Mount Gilboa, and behold, (C)Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen had overtaken him. 7 When he looked behind himself, he saw me, and called to me. And I said, ‘Here I am.’ 8 Then he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I [a]answered him, ‘(D)I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Please stand next to me and finish me off, for [b]agony has seized me because my [c]life still lingers in me.’ 10 So I stood next to him (E)and finished him off, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And (F)I took the crown which was on his head and the band which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”
11 Then (G)David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and (H)fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the people of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 Then David said to the young man who informed him, “Where are you from?” And he [d]answered, “(I)I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.” 14 And David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid (J)to reach out with your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Come forward, [e]put him to death.” (K)So he struck him and he died. 16 And David said to him, “[f](L)Your blood is on your head, because (M)your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have finished off the Lord’s anointed.’”
David’s Song of Mourning for Saul and Jonathan
17 Then David (N)sang this song of mourning over Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the mourning song of the bow; behold, it is written in (O)the Book of Jashar.
19 “[g]Your beauty, Israel, is [h]slaughtered on your high places!
(P)How the mighty have fallen!
20 (Q)Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
Or (R)the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,
The daughters of (S)the uncircumcised will celebrate.
21 (T)Mountains of Gilboa,
(U)May there be no dew nor rain on you, or fields of offerings!
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
The shield of Saul, not (V)anointed with oil.
22 (W)From the blood of those [i]slaughtered, from the fat of the mighty,
(X)The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
And the sword of Saul did not return [j]unstained.
23 Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in [k]life,
And in their deaths they were not separated;
(Y)They were swifter than eagles,
(Z)They were mightier than lions.
24 Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you in scarlet, with jewelry,
Who put gold jewelry on your apparel.
25 (AA)How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan is [l]slaughtered on your high places.
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been [m]a close friend to me.
(AB)Your love for me was more wonderful
Than the love of women.
27 (AC)How the mighty have fallen,
And (AD)the weapons of war have perished!”
27 Now [a]at this time some (A)prophets came down from Jerusalem to (B)Antioch. 28 One of them, named (C)Agabus, stood up and [b]indicated [c]by the Spirit that there would definitely be a severe famine (D)all over the [d]world. [e]And this took place in the reign of (E)Claudius. 29 And to the extent that any of (F)the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the [f]relief of (G)the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 (H)And they did this, sending it [g]with (I)Barnabas and Saul to the (J)elders.
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