Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

David Plans to Build a Temple

7 When King David lived in his house (palace) and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, ² the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.” ³ And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do everything that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Should you be the one to build Me a house in which to dwell? ⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought the sons (descendants) of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. ⁷ Wherever I have gone with all the Israelites, did I speak a word to any from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, asking, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

God’s Covenant with David

⁸ So now, say this to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like that of the great men of the earth. ¹⁰ I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in a place of their own and not be disturbed again. The ^[a]wicked will not afflict them again, as formerly, ¹¹ even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that He will make a house (royal dynasty) for you. ¹² When your days are fulfilled and you lie down [in death] with your fathers (ancestors), I will raise up your descendant after you, who shall be born to you, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He [is the one who] shall build a house for My ^[b]Name and My Presence, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. When he commits iniquity (wrongdoing), I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the strokes of the sons of man.

¹¹ Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, who are called “Uncircumcision” by those who called themselves “Circumcision,” [itself a mere mark] which is made in the flesh by human hands— ¹² remember that at that time you were separated from Christ [excluded from any relationship with Him], alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise [with no share in the sacred Messianic promise and without knowledge of God’s agreements], having no hope [in His promise] and [living] in the world without God. ¹³ But now [at this very moment] in Christ Jesus you who once were [so very] far away [from God] have been brought near ^[a]by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace and our bond of unity. He who made both groups—[Jews and Gentiles]—into one body and broke down the barrier, the dividing wall [of spiritual antagonism between us], ¹⁵ by abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the hostility caused by the Law with its commandments contained in ordinances [which He satisfied]; so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thereby establishing peace. ¹⁶ And [that He] might reconcile them both [Jew and Gentile, united] in one body to God through the cross, thereby putting to death the hostility. ¹⁷ And He came and preached the good news of peace to you [Gentiles] who were far away, and peace to those [Jews] who were near.^{(A) 18} For it is through Him that we both have a [direct] way of approach in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the [chief] Cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure is joined together, and it continues [to increase] growing into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, set apart, and sacred to the presence of the Lord]. ²² In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Five Thousand Fed

³⁰ The apostles [who had been sent out on a mission] gathered together with Jesus and told Him everything that they had done and taught. ³¹ He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while”—for there were many [people who were continually] coming and going, and they could not even find time to eat. ³² And they went away by themselves in the boat to a secluded place.^{(A) 33} Many [people] saw them leaving, and recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the [surrounding] cities, and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd [waiting], and He was moved with compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd [lacking guidance]; and He began to teach them many things.

Healing at Gennesaret

⁵³ When they had crossed over [the sea], they reached the land of Gennesaret and anchored at the shore. ⁵⁴ They got out of the boat and immediately people recognized Him, ⁵⁵ and ran throughout that surrounding countryside and began to carry around on their mats those who were sick, to any place where they heard He was. ⁵⁶ And wherever He came into villages, or cities, or the countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places and pleading with Him [to allow them] just to touch the fringe (tassel with a blue cord) of His robe; and all who touched it were healed.