Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁵ The king gave an order to Joab, Abishai and Ittai. He commanded them, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom. Do it for me.” All the troops heard the king give the commanders that order about Absalom.

⁶ David’s army marched out of the city to fight against Israel. The battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ There David’s men won the battle over Israel’s army. A huge number of men were wounded or killed that day. The total number was 20,000. ⁸ The fighting spread out over the whole countryside. But more men were killed in the forest that day than out in the open.

⁹ Absalom happened to come across some of David’s men. He was riding his mule. The mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree. Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in the air. The mule he was riding kept on going.

¹⁵ Ten of the men carrying Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom. They struck him and killed him.

³¹ Then the man from Cush arrived. He said, “You are my king and master. I’m bringing you some good news. The Lord has shown that you are in the right. He has done this by rescuing you today from all those trying to kill you.”

³² The king asked the man from Cush, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

The man replied, “King David, may your enemies be like that young man. May all those who rise up to harm you be like him.”

³³ The king was very upset. He went up to the room over the entrance of the gate and wept. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you. Absalom! My son, my son!”

A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

²⁵ So each of you must get rid of your lying. Speak the truth to your neighbor. We are all parts of one body. ²⁶ Scripture says, “When you are angry, do not sin.” (Psalm 4:4) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. ²⁷ Don’t give the devil a chance. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must never steal again. Instead, they must work. They must do something useful with their own hands. Then they will have something to give to people in need.

²⁹ Don’t let any evil talk come out of your mouths. Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs. Then what you say will help those who listen. ³⁰ Do not make God’s Holy Spirit mourn. The Holy Spirit is the proof that you belong to God. And the Spirit is the proof that God will set you completely free. ³¹ Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Don’t have anything to do with any kind of hatred. ³² Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive one another, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done. 5 ¹ You are the children that God dearly loves. So follow his example. ² Lead a life of love, just as Christ did. He loved us. He gave himself up for us. He was a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.

³⁵ Then Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

⁴¹ Then the Jews there began to complain about Jesus. That was because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? Don’t we know his father and mother? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

⁴³ “Stop complaining among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me brings them. Then I will raise them up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets, ‘God will teach all of them.’ (Isaiah 54:13) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who has come from God. Only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ What I’m about to tell you is true. Everyone who believes has life forever. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Long ago your people ate the manna in the desert, and they still died. ⁵⁰ But here is the bread that comes down from heaven. A person can eat it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Everyone who eats some of this bread will live forever. This bread is my body. I will give it for the life of the world.”