Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁶ Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol thy justice.

¹⁷ O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

¹⁸ For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted.

¹⁹ A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

²⁰ Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.

²¹ Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon thy altar.

¹⁵ And Nathan returned to his house. The Lord also struck the child which the wife of Urias had borne to David, and his life was despaired of.

¹⁶ And David besought the Lord for the child: and David kept a fast, and going in by himself lay upon the ground.

¹⁷ And the ancients of his house came, to make him rise from the ground: but he would not, neither did he eat meat with them.

¹⁸ And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died: and the servants of David feared to tell him, that the child was dead. For they said: Behold when the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not hearken to our voice: how much more will he afflict himself if we tell him that the child is dead?

¹⁹ But when David saw his servants whispering, he understood that the child was dead: and he said to his servants: Is the child dead? They answered him: He is dead.

²⁰ Then David arose from the ground, and washed and anointed himself: and when he had changed his apparel, he went into the house of the Lord: and worshipped, and then he came into his own house, and he called for bread, and ate.

²¹ And his servants said to him: What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive, but when the child was dead, thou didst rise up, and eat bread.

²² And he said: While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept for him: for I said: Who knoweth whether the Lord may not give him to me, and the child may live?

²³ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Shall I be able to bring him back any more? I shall go to him rather: but he shall not return to me.

²⁴ And David comforted Bethsabee his wife, and went in unto her, and slept with her: and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon, and the Lord loved him.

²⁵ And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name, Amiable to the Lord, because the Lord loved him.

¹⁷ This then I say and testify in the Lord: That henceforward you walk not as also the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind,

¹⁸ Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.

¹⁹ Who despairing, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness.

²⁰ But you have not so learned Christ;

²¹ If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus:

²² To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desire of error.

²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind:

²⁴ And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.