Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 61

A Soldier’s Prayer From the End of the Earth

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For the choir director. On a stringed instrument. By David.

A Prayer From the End of the Earth

David’s Wars

8 After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ha’ammah^[a] from the control of the Philistines.

² He defeated Moab and measured the men with a length of rope after making them lie down on the ground. He measured two lengths to be put to death and one full length to live. The Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

³ David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control^[b] at the river Euphrates. ⁴ David captured seventeen hundred charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers^[c] from him. David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but he left enough horses for a hundred chariots. ⁵ Arameans from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand men in Aram. ⁶ Then David put garrisons in Damascus in the land of Aram,^[d] and the Arameans became subject to David and brought tribute.

The Lord gave victory to David everywhere he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields that belonged to the officials of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Betah and Berothai,^[e] cities of Hadadezer, King David took large amounts of bronze.

⁹ Toi^[f] king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer. ¹⁰ So Toi sent his son Joram^[g] to King David to petition him for peace and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, because Toi had been at war with Hadadezer. In his hand he brought items made of silver and items of gold and items of bronze.

¹¹ King David dedicated these things to the Lord along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued: ¹² from Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoils of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ David made a name for himself when he returned from striking eighteen thousand Edomites^[h] in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ He put garrisons in Edom, in all of it, and all the Edomites became subject to David.

The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. ¹⁵ David was king over all Israel, and he treated all his people with justice and fairness.

David’s Officials

¹⁶ Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the record keeper.^{[i] 17} Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar were priests. Seraiah was the secretary. ¹⁸ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of the Kerethites and the Pelethites. The sons of David were government ministers.^[j]

Paul Says Farewell to the Elders of Ephesus

¹⁷ From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ When they came to him, he said to them, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia. ¹⁹ I served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me due to the plots of the Jews. ²⁰ You know how I did not hesitate to proclaim to you anything that would be beneficial for you or to teach you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have solemnly testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.^[a]

²² “And you see, now I am going to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit keeps warning me in town after town that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. ²⁴ However, I consider my life as of no great value to me, so that I may finish my race and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus—to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

²⁵ “Now take note of this too. I know that none of you among whom I went around preaching the kingdom of God will ever see my face again. ²⁶ Therefore I solemnly declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, ²⁷ for I did not hesitate to proclaim to you the whole counsel of God.

²⁸ “Always keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God,^[b] which he purchased with his own blood. ²⁹ I know that after my departure savage wolves, who will not spare the flock, will come in among you. ³⁰ Even from your own group men will rise up, twisting the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore be always on the alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.

³² “And now I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which has power to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I did not covet anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. ³⁴ You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me. ³⁵ In every way I gave you an example that, by working hard like this, we need to help the weak and to remember the words that the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ After Paul said these things, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. ³⁷ They all wept very much, as they threw their arms around Paul’s neck and kissed him. ³⁸ They were most distressed over the statement he made, that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.