Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 133

A Song of ^[a]Ascents. Of David.

¹ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

² It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body].^(A)

³ It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly].

⁴ David said to him, How did it go? Tell me. He answered, The men have fled from the battle. Many have fallen and are dead; Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.

⁵ David said to the young man, How do you know Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?

⁶ The young man said, By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa and I saw Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and horsemen were close behind him.

⁷ When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. I answered, Here I am.

⁸ He asked me, Who are you? I answered, An Amalekite.

⁹ He said to me, Rise up against me and slay me; for terrible dizziness has come upon me, yet my life is still in me [and I will be taken alive].

¹⁰ So I stood up against him and slew him, because I was sure he could not live after he had fallen. So I took the crown on his head and the bracelet on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.^(A)

¹¹ Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them; so did all the men with him.

¹² They mourned and wept for Saul and Jonathan his son, and fasted until evening for the Lord’s people and the house of Israel, because of their defeat in battle.

¹³ David said to the young man who told him, Where are you from? He answered, I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.

¹⁴ David said to him, Why were you not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?

¹⁵ David called one of the young men and said, Go near and fall upon him. And he smote him so that he died.

¹⁶ David said to [the fallen man], Your blood be upon your own head; for you have testified against yourself, saying, I have slain the Lord’s anointed.

¹⁷ David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son,

¹⁸ And he commanded to teach it, [the lament of] the bow, to the Israelites. Behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar:

¹⁹ Your glory, O Israel, is slain upon your high places. How have the mighty fallen!

²⁰ Tell it not in Gath, announce it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.

²¹ O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, or fields with offerings. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, as though he were not anointed with oil.

²² From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

²³ Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In their lives and in their deaths they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

²⁴ You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with [other] delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

²⁵ How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.

²⁶ I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me. Your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

²⁷ How have the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

²⁷ And during these days prophets (inspired teachers and interpreters of the divine will and purpose) came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

²⁸ And one of them named Agabus stood up and prophesied through the [Holy] Spirit that a great and severe famine would come upon the whole world. And this did occur during the reign of Claudius.

²⁹ So the disciples resolved to send relief, each according to his individual ability [in proportion as he had prospered], to the brethren who lived in Judea.

³⁰ And so they did, sending [their contributions] to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.