Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A song: Lyrics^[a] by the Sons of Korah.

Zion, City of God

David Becomes King over Judah

2 Some time later, David inquired of the Lord to ask, “Am I to move^[a] to any one of the cities of Judah?”

The Lord told him, “Go.”

So David asked, “To which one?”

He replied, “To Hebron.”

² So David went there, along with his two wives Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, widow of Nabal from Carmel. ³ David brought his army^[b] with him, each soldier accompanied by his household, and they settled in the cities of Hebron. ⁴ After this, the army of Judah arrived, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

There they informed David, “The men of Jabesh-gilead buried Saul.”

⁵ So David sent messengers to the people^[c] of Jabesh-gilead and told them, “May the Lord bless you, because you showed gracious love like^[d] this to your lord Saul by burying him. ⁶ Now may the Lord reward you with gracious love, as well as faithfulness, to you, too! And I will also reward you because you did this good thing. ⁷ So strengthen yourselves, and be valiant in heart, because your lord Saul has died, and the household of Judah has anointed me to be king over them.”

Abner’s Rebellion and the Battle at Gibeon

⁸ Meanwhile, Ner’s son Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth^[e] and brought him to Mahanaim. ⁹ He installed him as king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all of the rest of^[f] Israel. ¹⁰ Ish-bosheth began to reign over Israel at the age of 40 years, and he reigned for two years, even though Judah’s lineage followed David. ¹¹ The period of David’s kingship in Hebron lasted seven years and six months.

⁸ You already have all you want! You have already become rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you really were kings so that we could be kings with you! ⁹ For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display in last place, like men condemned to death. We have become a spectacle for the world, for angels, and for people to stare at. ¹⁰ We are fools for the Messiah’s^[a] sake, but you are wise in the Messiah.^[b] We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored. ¹¹ We are hungry, thirsty, dressed in rags, brutally treated, and homeless, right up to the present. ¹² We wear ourselves out from working with our own hands. When insulted, we bless. When persecuted, we endure. ¹³ When slandered, we answer with kind words. Even now we have become the filth of the world, the scum of the universe.