Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 18[a]
Thanksgiving for God’s Help
1 For the director.[b] Of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song after the Lord had rescued him from the clutches of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:
I love you, O Lord, my strength,
3 O Lord, my rock,[c] my fortress, my deliverer.
My God is my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
4 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy of all praise;
and I am saved from my enemies.
5 The cords of death encompassed me,
and the torrents of destruction assailed me.
6 The cords of the netherworld ensnared me,
and the snares of death[d] rose up before me.
43 I crushed them like fine dust before the wind;
I trod on them like mud in the streets.
44 You delivered me from a people in rebellion,
and you placed me in charge of the nations;
people I did not know have become my subjects.
45 As soon as they heard me, they obeyed;
foreigners groveled before me.
46 Then they became disheartened
and came forth trembling from their strongholds.
47 The Lord lives! Blessed[a] be my Rock!
Exalted be God, my Savior!
48 O God, you obtained vindication for me,
subjected nations under me,
49 and freed me from my enemies.
You exalted me over my adversaries
and delivered me from the violent.
50 For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations
and sing praise to your name.[b]
Chapter 10
Saul’s Death and Burial. 1 Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and Israel fled from the Philistines. Many fell and were killed at Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons. The Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3 The fighting around Saul became fierce when the archers hit him. The archers wounded him. 4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Take out your sword and run me through lest these uncircumcised men come and mock me.” But he was terrified, so Saul took out a sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he, too, fell on his sword and died. 6 Saul and his three sons died, and his whole household died with him.
7 When all the Israelites in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. The Philistines came and occupied them.
8 The next day the Philistines came up to strip the dead, and they found Saul and his sons who had fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped him, taking his head and his armor. They sent word throughout the surrounding land of the Philistines proclaiming the news among their idols and their people. 10 They placed his armor in the shrine of their gods, hanging his head in the shrine of Dagon.[a]
11 When all the people in Jabesh-gilead heard about everything that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all of their brave men rose up and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons. They brought them to Jabesh and buried their bones under the oak tree in Jabesh. They then fasted for seven days.
13 [b]Saul died because of the transgressions that he had committed against the Lord, against the word of the Lord which he did not observe, for he even consulted with a medium to make inquiry. 14 He did not inquire from the Lord. He slew him and turned the kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse.
14 Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by a Spirit.[a] When they returned to the disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some scribes were engaged in an argument with them. 15 As soon as the people saw Jesus, they were overcome with awe and ran forward to greet him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
17 A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought you my son who is possessed by a spirit that makes him unable to speak. 18 Wherever it seizes him, it flings him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
19 Jesus said to them in reply, “O unbelieving generation, how much longer shall I remain with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 When they brought the boy to him, the spirit saw him and immediately threw the child into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the father, “How long has the boy been in this condition?” “From childhood,” he replied. 22 “It has often tried to kill him by throwing him into a fire or into water. If it is possible for you to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 23 Jesus answered, “If it is possible! All things are possible for one who has faith.” 24 Immediately, the father of the child cried out, “I do believe. Help my unbelief.”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering around them, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and mute spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 Shrieking and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out of him. He lay there like a corpse, so that many remarked, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
28 When he went indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why were we not able to cast it out?” 29 He answered, “This kind cannot be driven out except by prayer [and by fasting].”[b]
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