Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁶ But to the wicked, God says: What right have you to recite My statutes or take My covenant or pledge on your lips,

¹⁷ Seeing that you hate instruction and correction and cast My words behind you [discarding them]?

¹⁸ When you see a thief, you associate with him, and you have taken part with adulterers.

¹⁹ You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit.

²⁰ You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.

²¹ These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was once entirely like you. But [now] I will reprove you and put [the charge] in order before your eyes.

²² Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

²³ He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me; and he who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God.

13 Absalom son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon [her half brother] son of David loved her.

² And Amnon was so troubled that he fell sick for his [half] sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it impossible for him to do anything to her.

³ But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very crafty man.

⁴ He said to Amnon, Why are you, the king’s son, so lean and weak-looking from day to day? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my [half] brother Absalom’s sister.

⁵ Jonadab said to him, Go to bed and pretend you are sick; and when your father David comes to see you, say to him, Let my sister Tamar come and give me food and prepare it in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.

⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, I pray you, let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.

⁷ Then David sent home and told Tamar, Go now to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare food for him.

⁸ So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was in bed. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked them.

⁹ She took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Send everyone out from me. So everyone went out from him.

¹⁰ Then Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food here into the bedroom, so I may eat from your hand. So Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother.

¹¹ And when she brought them to him, he took hold of her and said, Come lie with me, my sister.

¹² She replied, No, my brother! Do not force and humble me, for no such thing should be done in Israel! Do not do this foolhardy, scandalous thing!^(A)

¹³ And I, how could I rid myself of my shame? And you, you will be [considered] one of the stupid fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray you, speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.

¹⁴ But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.

¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that his hatred for her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Get up and get out!

¹⁶ But she said, No! This great evil of sending me away is worse than what you did to me. But he would not listen to her.

¹⁷ He called the servant who served him and said, Put this woman out of my presence now, and bolt the door after her!

¹⁸ Now [Tamar] was wearing a long robe with sleeves and of various colors, for in such robes were the king’s virgin daughters clad of old. Then Amnon’s servant brought her out and bolted the door after her.

¹⁹ And [she] put ashes on her head and tore the long, sleeved robe which she wore, and she laid her hand on her head and went away shrieking and wailing.

²⁷ Now you [collectively] are Christ’s body and [individually] you are members of it, each part severally and distinct [each with his own place and function].

²⁸ So God has appointed some in the church [^[a]for His own use]: first apostles (special messengers); second prophets (inspired preachers and expounders); third teachers; then wonder-workers; then those with ability to heal the sick; helpers; administrators; [speakers in] different (unknown) tongues.

²⁹ Are all apostles (special messengers)? Are all prophets (inspired interpreters of the will and purposes of God)? Are all teachers? Do all have the power of performing miracles?

³⁰ Do all possess extraordinary powers of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

³¹ But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all—love].