Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁵ The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” All the people heard when the king commanded all the captains concerning Absalom.

⁶ So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ The people of Israel were struck there before David’s servants, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men. ⁸ For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹ Absalom happened to meet David’s servants. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was hanging between the sky and earth; and the mule that was under him went on.

¹⁵ Ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.

³¹ Behold, the Cushite came. The Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king, for Yahweh has avenged you today of all those who rose up against you.”

³² The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?”

The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to do you harm, be as that young man is.”

³³ The king was much moved, and went up to the room over 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 of Ascents.

²⁵ Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. ²⁶ “Be angry, and don’t sin.”^(A) Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ and don’t give place^[a] to the devil. ²⁸ Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. ²⁹ Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

5 Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. ² Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

³⁵ Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

⁴¹ The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?”

⁴³ Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves. ⁴⁴ No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up in the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ ^(A) Therefore everyone who hears from the Father and has learned, comes to me. ⁴⁶ Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. ⁵⁰ This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”