Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 17[a]
A prayer of David.
17 Lord, consider my just cause.[b]
Pay attention to my cry for help.
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer.[c]
2 Make a just decision on my behalf.[d]
Decide what is right.[e]
3 You have scrutinized my inner motives;[f]
you have examined me during the night.[g]
You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.
I am determined I will say nothing sinful.[h]
4 As for the actions of people[i]—
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men.[j]
5 I carefully obey your commands;[k]
I do not deviate from them.[l]
6 I call to you because you will answer me, O God.
Listen to me![m]
Hear what I say![n]
7 Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds,[o]
you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies.[p]
8 Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye.[q]
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.[r]
9 Protect me from[s] the wicked men who attack[t] me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill.[u]
10 They are calloused;[v]
they speak arrogantly.[w]
11 They attack me, now they surround me;[x]
they intend to throw me to the ground.[y]
12 He[z] is like a lion[aa] that wants to tear its prey to bits,[ab]
like a young lion crouching[ac] in hidden places.
13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him.[ad] Knock him down.[ae]
Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man.[af]
14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers,[ag]
from the murderers of this world.[ah]
They enjoy prosperity;[ai]
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire.[aj]
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring.[ak]
15 As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face;[al]
when I awake you will reveal yourself to me.[am]
27 When the time of mourning passed, David had her brought to his palace.[a] She became his wife and she bore him a son. But what David had done upset the Lord.[b]
Nathan the Prophet Confronts David
12 So the Lord sent Nathan[c] to David. When he came to David,[d] Nathan[e] said,[f] “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children.[g] It used to[h] eat his food,[i] drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms.[j] It was just like a daughter to him.
4 “When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home,[k] he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed[l] the traveler who had come to visit him.[m] Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked[n] it for the man who had come to visit him.”
5 Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die![o] 6 Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!”[p]
7 Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘I chose[q] you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms.[r] I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well! 9 Why have you shown contempt for the Lord’s decrees[s] by doing evil in my[t] sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife to be your own wife! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’ 11 This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on you[u] from inside your own household![v] Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion.[w] He will go to bed with[x] your wives in broad daylight![y] 12 Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’”[z]
13 Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven[aa] your sin. You are not going to die. 14 Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempt[ab] in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.”
15 Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill.[ac]
To the Church in Philadelphia
7 “To[a] the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following:[b]
“This is the solemn pronouncement of[c] the Holy One, the True One, who holds the key of David, who opens doors[d] no one can shut, and shuts doors[e] no one can open: 8 ‘I know your deeds. (Look! I have put[f] in front of you an open door that no one can shut.)[g] I know[h] that you have little strength,[i] but[j] you have obeyed[k] my word and have not denied my name. 9 Listen![l] I am going to make those people from the synagogue[m] of Satan—who say they are Jews yet[n] are not, but are lying—Look, I will make[o] them come and bow down[p] at your feet and acknowledge[q] that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept[r] my admonition[s] to endure steadfastly,[t] I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away[u] your crown.[v] 12 The one who conquers[w] I will make[x] a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I[y] will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God),[z] and my new name as well. 13 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
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