Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
16 [a]But to the wicked God says:
“How can you recite my statutes
or profess my covenant on your lips?
17 For you loathe my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
18 “When you meet a thief, you join him;
you revel in the company of adulterers.
19 You employ your mouth for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20 “You willingly speak against your brother
and slander the child of your own mother.
21 When you do such things, can I remain silent?
Do you think that I am[b] like you?
I will correct you
and set the charge before your face.
22 “Remember this, you who forget God,[c]
lest I tear you to pieces
and there be no one to rescue you.
23 He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me;
to him who follows my way
I will show the salvation of God.”
20 Her brother Absalom said to her: “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this to heart.” Then Tamar, forlorn and inconsolable, went to live in the house of her brother Absalom.
21 [a]When King David learned about all this, he became extremely angry. However, he did not punish his son Amnon because he was his firstborn and he loved him. 22 But Absalom refused to say a single word to Amnon, either good or bad, since he hated Amnon because he had raped his sister Tamar.
23 Absalom’s Plot. Two years later, when Absalom had sheep-shearers at Baal-hazor, near Ephraim, he invited all of the king’s sons. 24 Absalom went to the king and said: “Your servant has summoned the sheep-shearers to work. Will your majesty and his retinue please come?” 25 The king replied: “No, my son. If we all were to go, we would prove to be a burden to you.” Absalom continued to urge him, but the king still refused to go, although he gave him his blessing.
26 Absalom then said: “If you will not come, then please allow my brother Amnon to go with us.” The king replied: “Why should he go with you?” 27 However, Absalom continued to urge him, until finally the king allowed Amnon and all the other princes to go.
28 Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king, and he instructed his servants: “Watch carefully! When Amnon is merry with wine and I say to you: ‘Strike down Amnon,’ then slay him. Do not be afraid. You will simply be obeying my command. Be courageous and act valiantly!”
29 The Death of Amnon. When the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded, then all of the king’s sons leapt to their feet, mounted their mules, and fled. 30 While they were still on the road, a report came to David that Absalom had slain all of the king’s sons and that not a single one of them had survived. 31 The king stood up, tore his garments, and threw himself on the ground. All of his servants who were standing around him also tore their garments.
32 However, Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, said: “Let not my lord think that all the young princes, the sons of the king, have been killed. Amnon alone is dead, for Absalom has been determined to exact vengeance ever since the day that Amnon raped his sister Tamar. 33 Therefore, my lord the king should not believe the report that all of the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
34 Meanwhile Absalom had fled. When the man on sentry duty looked up, he saw a large group of people coming down the hill from the direction of Horonaim. Immediately he hastened to the king and reported: “I have seen men coming down the hill from Horonaim.”
35 Jonadab said to the king: “Behold, the king’s sons have returned, just as I said they would.” 36 No sooner had he finished speaking than the king’s sons arrived, weeping aloud. The king and all his servants also wept bitterly.
Chapter 8
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand.[a] 1 In those days, a great crowd had again assembled, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 “I am moved with compassion for these people, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way—and some of them have come from far off.”
4 His disciples replied, “How can anyone find enough bread here in this deserted place to feed these men?” 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.”
6 Jesus ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the people. 7 There were also a few small fish, and after blessing them he commanded that these too should be distributed. 8 They ate and were satisfied. Afterward, the disciples picked up the fragments left over—seven full baskets. 9 The people there numbered about four thousand. And when he had sent them away, 10 he immediately got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.[b]
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.