Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

130 Out of the deep places have I called to You, O LORD.

² LORD, hear my voice. Let Your ears attend to the voice of my prayers.

³ If You, O LORD, straightly mark iniquities, O LORD, who shall stand?

⁴ But mercy is with You, so that You may be feared.

⁵ I have waited on the LORD. My soul has waited; and I have trusted in His word.

⁶ My soul waits on the LORD more than the morning watch watches for the morning.

⁷ Let Israel wait on the LORD, for with the LORD is mercy and with Him is great redemption.

⁸ And He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities. A song of degrees, or Psalm, of Solomon

15 After this, Absalom prepared chariots for himself, and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

² And Absalom rose up early and stood by the entrance of the gate. And every man who had any dispute, and had come to the king for judgment, Absalom called to himself, and said, “What city are you from?” And he answered, “Your servant is from…” (one of the tribes of Israel).

³ Then Absalom said to him, “See, your matters are good and righteous; but there is no deputy of the king to hear you.”

⁴ Moreover, Absalom said, “Oh that I were made judge in the land, so that every man who has any dispute might come to me, so that I might do him justice!”

⁵ And when any man came near to him and prostrated himself, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him.

⁶ And in this manner did Absalom to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So, Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷ And after forty years, Absalom said to the king, “Pleaase let me go to Hebron and render my vow which I have vowed to the LORD.

⁸ “For your servant vowed a vow when I remained at Geshur, in Aram, saying, ‘If the LORD shall bring me back indeed to Jerusalem, I will serve the LORD.’”

⁹ And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So, he arose and went to Hebron.

¹⁰ Then, Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the trumpet, you shall say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”

¹¹ And two hundred invited men went out of Jerusalem with Absalom. And they went innocently, knowing nothing.

¹² Also, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, Giloh, while he offered Sacrifices. And the treason was great. For the people with Absalom steadily increased.

¹³ Then, a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have turned to follow Absalom.”

⁷ “Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you.

⁸ “For whoever asks, receives. And the one who seeks, finds. And to the one who knocks, it shall be opened.

⁹ “For what man is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, would give him a stone?

¹⁰ “Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

¹¹ “If you then, who are evil, can give to your children good gifts, how much more shall your Father, Who is in Heaven, give good things to those who ask Him?