Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Thanksgiving for the King
For the director of music. A song of David.
21 Lord, the king rejoices because of your strength.
He is so happy when you save him!
2 You gave the king what he wanted.
You did not refuse what he asked for. Selah
3 You put good things before him.
You placed a gold crown on his head.
4 He asked you for life.
And you gave it to him.
His years go on and on.
5 He has great glory because you gave him victories.
You gave him honor and praise.
6 You always gave him blessings.
You made him glad because you were with him.
7 The king truly trusts the Lord.
Because God Most High always loves him,
he will not be overwhelmed.
8 Your hand is against all your enemies.
Those who hate you will feel your power.
9 When you appear, you will burn them like wood in a furnace.
In your anger you will eat them up.
Your fire will burn them up.
10 You will destroy their families from the earth.
Their children will not live.
11 They made evil plans against you.
But their traps won’t work.
12 You will make them turn their backs
when you aim your arrows at them.
13 Be supreme, Lord, in your power.
We sing and praise your greatness.
David Is Made King of Israel
5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron. They said to him, “Look, we are your own family. 2 In the past Saul was king over us. But you were the one leading us in battle for Israel. The Lord said to you, ‘You will be like a shepherd for my people, the Israelites. You will become their ruler.’”
3 All the elders of Israel came to King David at Hebron. Then he made an agreement with them in Hebron in front of the Lord. Then they poured oil on David to make him king over Israel.
4 David was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled 40 years. 5 He was king over Judah in Hebron for 7 years and 6 months. And he was king over all Israel and Judah in Jerusalem for 33 years.
6 The king and his men went to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You can’t come into our city. Even our people who are blind and crippled can stop you.” They said this because they thought David could not enter their city. 7 But David did take the city of Jerusalem with its strong walls. It became the City of David.
8 That day David said to his men, “To defeat the Jebusites you must go through the water tunnel. Then you can reach those ‘crippled’ and ‘blind’ enemies. This is why people say, ‘The blind and the crippled cannot enter the palace.’”
9 So David lived in the city with its strong walls. He called it the City of David. David built more buildings around it. He began where the land was filled in on the east side of the city. He also built more buildings inside the city. 10 He became stronger and stronger, because the Lord of heaven’s armies was with him.
Paul Tells About His Sufferings
16 I tell you again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you think that I am a fool, then accept me as you would accept a fool. Then I can brag a little, too. 17 I brag because I feel sure of myself. But I am not talking as the Lord would talk. I am bragging like a fool. 18 Many people are bragging about their lives in the world. So I will brag, too. 19 You are wise, so you will gladly be patient with fools! 20 You are even patient with someone who orders you around and uses you! You are patient with those who trick you, or think they are better than you, or hit you in the face! 21 It is shameful to me to say this, but we were too “weak” to do those things to you!
But if anyone else is brave enough to brag, then I also will be brave and brag. (I am talking like a fool.) 22 Are they Hebrews?[a] So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they from Abraham’s family? So am I. 23 Are they serving Christ? I am serving him more. (I am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much harder than they. I have been in prison more often. I have been hurt more in beatings. I have been near death many times. 24 Five times the Jews have given me their punishment of 39 lashes with a whip. 25 Three different times I was beaten with rods. One time they tried to kill me with stones. Three times I was in ships that were wrecked, and one of those times I spent the night and the next day in the sea. 26 I have gone on many travels. And I have been in danger from rivers, from thieves, from my own people, the Jews, and from those who are not Jews. I have been in danger in cities, in places where no one lives, and on the sea. And I have been in danger with false brothers. 27 I have done hard and tiring work, and many times I did not sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. Many times I have been without food. I have been cold and without clothes. 28 Besides all this, there is on me every day the load of my concern for all the churches. 29 I feel weak every time someone is weak. I feel upset every time someone is led into sin.
30 If I must brag, I will brag about the things that show I am weak. 31 God knows that I am not lying. He is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is to be praised forever. 32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas wanted to arrest me. So he put guards around the city. 33 But my friends put me in a basket. Then they put the basket through a hole in the wall and lowered me down. So I escaped from the governor.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.