Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 130

A Song of ^[a]Ascents.

¹ Out of the depths have I cried to You, O Lord.

² Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

³ If You, Lord, should keep account of and treat [us according to our] sins, O Lord, who could stand?^(A)

⁴ But there is forgiveness with You [just what man needs], that You may be reverently feared and worshiped.^(B)

⁵ I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.

⁶ I am looking and waiting for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, I say, more than watchmen for the morning.

⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is mercy and loving-kindness, and with Him is plenteous redemption.

⁸ And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.

15 After this, Absalom got a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

² And [he] rose up early and stood beside the gateway; and when any man who had a controversy came to the king for judgment, Absalom called to him, Of what city are you? And he would say, Your servant is of such and such a tribe of Israel.

³ Absalom would say to him, Your claims are good and right, but there is no man appointed as the king’s agent to hear you.

⁴ Absalom added, Oh, that I were judge in the land! Then every man with any suit or cause might come to me and I would do him justice!

⁵ And whenever a man came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.

⁶ Thus Absalom did to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷ And after [four] years, Absalom said to the king, I pray you, let me go to Hebron [his birthplace] and pay my vow to the Lord.

⁸ For your servant vowed while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, If the Lord will bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord [by offering a sacrifice].

⁹ And the king said to him, Go in peace. So he arose and went to Hebron.

¹⁰ But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, Absalom is king at Hebron.

¹¹ With Absalom went 200 men from Jerusalem, who were invited [as guests to his sacrificial feast]; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not a thing.

¹² And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy was strong; the people with Absalom increased continually.

¹³ And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.

^7 [a]Keep on asking and it will be given you; ^[b] keep on seeking and you will find; ^[c]keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.

⁸ For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.

⁹ Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone?

¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent?

¹¹ If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and ^[d]advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and ^[e]advantageous things to those who ^[f]keep on asking Him!