Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 130^[a]

Prayer for Pardon and Peace

¹ A song of ascents.

Chapter 20

David and Jonathan’s Friendship. ¹ David fled from Naioth in Ramah and he went to Jonathan and said, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father that he is trying to take my life?” ² He answered him, “You will surely not die! Everything that my father does, whether it is important or insignificant, he confides to me. Why would my father hide this from me? It is just not so.” ³ But David swore an oath saying, “Your father knows very well that you like me, so he said to himself, ‘I will not let Jonathan know about it, lest he be grieved by it.’ As the Lord lives and as you live, there is only one step between me and death.”

⁴ So Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do for you, I will do it.” ⁵ David said to Jonathan, “Tomorrow is the new moon celebration,^[a] and I am supposed to dine with the king. Let me go and hide myself in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. ⁶ If your father should miss me, tell him, ‘David begged me for permission to hurry to Bethlehem because they are offering an annual sacrifice there for the whole clan.’ ⁷ If he says, ‘That is fine,’ then your servant is safe. But if he becomes very angry, you can be sure that he is plotting harm. ⁸ Deal kindly with your servant, for you have entered into a covenant before the Lord with your servant. If I am guilty, kill me yourself, why should you hand me over to your father?”

⁹ Jonathan answered, “Never! If I knew for sure that my father was planning to harm you, would I not tell you?” ¹⁰ David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father’s answer is harsh?” ¹¹ Jonathan said, “Come. Let us go out into the field.” So they went out into the field together. ¹² Jonathan said to David, “By the Lord, the God of Israel, by this time on the day after tomorrow, I will have sounded out my father. If he is well disposed toward David, will I not send word to you to let you know? ¹³ Otherwise, may the Lord do this and more to Jonathan. But if my father wishes to harm you, I will send you away so that you can be safe. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. ¹⁴ Only will you not treat me with the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I not be killed? ¹⁵ Never cease being kind to my family, even when the Lord has eliminated all of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

¹⁶ So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David saying, “May the Lord take vengeance on all of David’s enemies.” ¹⁷ Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him more than he loved himself.

¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is a new moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty. ¹⁹ The day after tomorrow, hurry down to the place where you hid yourself when this trouble began, and stay by the stone of Ezel. ²⁰ I will shoot three arrows off to the side of it, as if I were shooting at a target. ²¹ Then I will send a boy out saying, ‘Go and find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you. Bring them,’ then, as the Lord lives, you are safe, there is no danger. ²² But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are ahead of you,’ then go on your way, for the Lord is sending you. ²³ The Lord is a witness between me and you forever in regard to the things about which we have spoken.”

²⁴ David’s Absence. So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon celebration began and the king sat down to eat, ²⁵ the king sat in his usual place by the wall. Jonathan sat facing him, and Abner was sitting by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

The Collection for the Christians of Jerusalem^[a]

Chapter 8

Example of Christians of Macedonia. ¹ Now we want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God that has been bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia. ² In a period of severe affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in rich generosity on their part. ³ I can testify that they contributed to the limit of their resources, and even beyond, ⁴ begging us insistently for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

⁵ Far exceeding our expectations, they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then, by the will of God, to us. ⁶ As a result, we urged Titus that, inasmuch as he had already begun this work of charity, he should bring this enterprise to a successful completion among you.

The Example of Christ. ⁷ Now, inasmuch as you excel in everything—in your faith, your eloquence, your knowledge, your concern for others, and your love for us^[b]—so we want you also to excel in this generous undertaking.