Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

11 In the spring, when kings go forth to battle, David sent Joab with his servants and all Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites [country] and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

² One evening David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, when from there he saw a woman bathing; and she was very lovely to behold.

³ David sent and inquired about the woman. One said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

⁴ And David sent messengers and took her. And she came in to him, and he lay with her—for she was purified from her uncleanness. Then she returned to her house.

⁵ And the woman became pregnant and sent and told David, I am with child.

⁶ David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent [him] Uriah.

⁷ When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the people fared, and how the war progressed.

⁸ David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of food [a gift] from the king.

⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house.

¹⁰ When they told David, Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?

¹¹ Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah live in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as my soul lives, I will not do this thing.

¹² And David said to Uriah, Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

¹³ David invited him, and he ate with him and drank, so that he made him drunk; but that night he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house.

¹⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter, Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and withdraw from him, that he may be struck down and die.

Psalm 14

To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David.

¹ The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds; there is none that does good or right.^(A)

² The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely, and sought after God, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity].

³ They are all gone aside, they have all together become filthy; there is none that does good or right, no, not one.^(B)

⁴ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread and who do not call on the Lord?

⁵ There they shall be in great fear [literally—dreading a dread], for God is with the generation of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright and in right standing with Him).

⁶ You [evildoers] would put to shame and confound the plans of the poor and patient, but the Lord is his safe refuge.

⁷ Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord shall restore the fortunes of His people, then Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.^(C)

¹⁴ For this reason [^[a]seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵ For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name].

¹⁶ May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

¹⁷ May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

¹⁸ That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

¹⁹ [That you may really come] to know [practically, ^[b]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses ^[c]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] ^[d]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and ^[e]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

²⁰ Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—

²¹ To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

6 After this, Jesus went to the farther side of the Sea of Galilee—that is, the Sea of Tiberias.

² And a great crowd was following Him because they had seen the signs (miracles) which He [continually] performed upon those who were sick.

³ And Jesus walked up the mountainside and sat down there with His disciples.

⁴ Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was approaching.

⁵ Jesus looked up then, and seeing that a vast multitude was coming toward Him, He said to Philip, Where are we to buy bread, so that all these people may eat?

⁶ But He said this to prove (test) him, for He well knew what He was about to do.

⁷ Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennies’ (forty dollars) worth of bread is not enough that everyone may receive even a little.

⁸ Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,

⁹ There is a little boy here, who has [with him] five barley loaves, and two small fish; but what are they among so many people?

¹⁰ Jesus said, Make all the people recline (sit down). Now the ground (a pasture) was covered with thick grass at the spot, so the men threw themselves down, about 5,000 in number.

¹¹ Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed ^[a]to the disciples and the disciples to the reclining people; so also [He did] with the fish, as much as they wanted.

¹² When they had all had enough, He said to His disciples, Gather up now the fragments (the broken pieces that are left over), so that nothing may be lost and wasted.

¹³ So accordingly they gathered them up, and they filled twelve [^[b]small hand] baskets with fragments left over by those who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

¹⁴ When the people saw the sign (miracle) that Jesus had performed, they began saying, Surely and beyond a doubt this is the Prophet Who is to come into the world!^(A)

¹⁵ Then Jesus, knowing that they meant to come and seize Him that they might make Him king, withdrew again to the hillside by Himself alone.

¹⁶ When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

¹⁷ And they took a boat and were going across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and still Jesus had not [yet] come back to them.

¹⁸ Meanwhile, the sea was getting rough and rising high because of a great and violent wind that was blowing.

¹⁹ [However] when they had rowed three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the boat. And they were afraid (terrified).

²⁰ But Jesus said to them, It is I; be not afraid! [I Am; stop being frightened!]^(B)

²¹ Then they were quite willing and glad for Him to come into the boat. And now the boat went at once to the land they had steered toward. [And immediately they reached the shore toward which they had been slowly making their way.]