Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁵ And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Engage the young man Absalom gently, for my sake.” And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

⁶ So, the people went out into the field to meet Israel. And the battle was in the Forest of Ephraim,

⁷ where the people of Israel were killed before the servants of David. So, there was a great slaughter that day, of twenty thousand.

⁸ For the battle was scattered over all the country. And the forest devoured many more people that day than did the sword.

⁹ Now Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule. And the mule came under a great thick oak. And his head caught hold of the oak and he was taken up between the sky and the earth. And the mule that was under him went away.

¹⁵ And ten servants who bore Joab’s armor surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.

³¹ And behold, Cushi came. And Cushi said, “News, my lord the king. For the LORD has delivered you this day out of the hand of all who rose against you!”

³² Then the king said to Cushi, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” And Cushi answered, “The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do you harm, are as that young man is.”

³³ And the king was moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said this: “O, my son Absalom! My son! My son, Absalom! Would that I had died for you, O Absalom, my son! My son!”

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

²⁵ Therefore, having laid aside lying, everyone speak truth to his neighbor. For we are members one of another.

²⁶ Be angry, but do not sin. Do not let the Sun go down upon your irritation,

²⁷ nor give place to the devil.

²⁸ Let him who stole, steal no more. But rather, let him labor and work with his hands that which is good, so that he may have something to give to those in need.

²⁹ Let no worthless word proceed out of your mouth, but only if it is good for edification, so that it may give grace to those who hear.

³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in Whom you are sealed for the Day of Redemption.

³¹ Let all bitterness and fury and anger, clamor and slander, be taken from you, along with all wickedness.

³² Be kind one to another, and tender-hearted, freely forgiving one another; even as God, for Christ’s sake, freely forgave you.

5 Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children.

² And walk in love, just as Christ has loved us and has given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savor to God.

³⁵ And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to Me shall not hunger, and the one who believes in Me shall never thirst.

⁴¹ The Jews then grumbled at Him because He said, ‘I am the bread which has come down from Heaven.’

⁴² And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, Whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, “I came down from Heaven?”

⁴³ Then Jesus answered, and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.

⁴⁴ “No one can come to Me unless the Father, Who has sent Me, draws him. And I will raise him up at the last day.

⁴⁵ “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God’. Therefore, everyone who has heard, and has learned from the Father, comes to Me.

⁴⁶ “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He Who is from God; He has seen the Father.

⁴⁷ “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me has everlasting life.

⁴⁸ “I am the bread of life.

⁴⁹ “Your fathers ate Manna in the wilderness and are dead.

⁵⁰ “This is the bread which comes down from Heaven, so that anyone who eats of it should not die.

⁵¹ “I am the living bread which came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”