Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Aleph

¹ ¶ Halelu-JAH. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, Beth in the company and in the congregation of the upright.

Gimel

² The works of the LORD are great, Daleth sought out by all those that have pleasure therein.

He

³ Honor and beauty are his work; Vau and his righteousness endures for ever.

Zain

⁴ He has made his wonderful works to be remembered;

Cheth

The LORD is gracious and merciful.

Teth

⁵ He has given sustenance unto those that fear him; Jod He will ever be mindful of his covenant.

Caph

⁶ ¶ He has shown his people the power of his works,

Lamed

by giving them the inheritance of the Gentiles.

Mem

⁷ The works of his hands are truth and judgment;

Nun

all his commandments are sure.

Samech

⁸ They stand fast from age to age

Ain

and are made in truth and uprightness.

Pe

⁹ He sent redemption unto his people;

Tzaddi

he has commanded his covenant for ever:

Koph

Holy and reverend is his name.

Resh

¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

Schin

A good understanding have all those that do his will;

Tau

His praise endures for ever.

1 ¶ Now king David was old and stricken in years, and they covered him with clothes, but he did not become warm.

² Therefore, his slaves said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her stand before the king and let her warm him and let her lie in thy bosom, and she shall warm my lord the king.

³ So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the borders of Israel and found Abishag, a Shunammite and brought her to the king.

⁴ And the damsel was very fair and warmed the king and ministered to him, but the king knew her not.

⁵ ¶ Then Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying, I will reign, and he prepared chariots and horsemen for himself and fifty men to run before him.

⁶ And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was very handsome; and he had begotten him after Absalom.

⁷ And he conferred with Joab, the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar, the priest who helped Adonijah.

⁸ But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan, the prophet, and Shimei and Rei and the mighty men of David did not follow Adonijah.

⁹ And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s slaves;

¹⁰ but he did not invite Nathan, the prophet, nor Benaiah nor the mighty men nor Solomon his brother.

¹¹ ¶ And Nathan spoke unto Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, reigns without David our lord knowing of it?

¹² Now, therefore, come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel that thou may deliver thine own life and the life of thy son Solomon.

¹³ Go and enter in unto King David and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then does Adonijah reign?

¹⁴ And while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I also will come in after thee and finish thy words.

¹⁵ And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber; and the king was very old; and Abishag, the Shunammite, ministered unto the king.

¹⁶ And Bathsheba bowed and worshipped the king. And the king said, What dost thou desire?

¹⁷ And she said unto him, My lord, thou didst sware by the LORD thy God unto thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne;

¹⁸ and now, behold, Adonijah reigns; and now, my lord the king, thou dost not know it.

¹⁹ He has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance and has called all the sons of the king and Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the captain of the host; but he has not invited Solomon, thy slave.

²⁰ And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee that thou should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

²¹ Otherwise, it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers that I and my son Solomon shall be counted as sinners.

²² And while she yet spoke with the king, Nathan, the prophet, also came in.

²³ And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan, the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

²⁴ And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

²⁵ For today he has gone down and has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance and has called all the king’s sons and the captains of the host and Abiathar, the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him and say, Long live King Adonijah.

²⁶ But he did not invite me, thy slave, nor Zadok, the priest, nor Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, nor thy slave Solomon.

²⁷ Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not declared unto thy slave who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

²⁸ Then King David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.

²⁹ And the king swore and said, As the LORD lives, who has ransomed my soul out of all distress,

³⁰ even as I swore unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

⁸ ¶ And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles in the people.

⁹ Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians and Alexandrians and of those of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

¹⁰ And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

¹¹ Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.

¹² And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes and came upon him and caught him and brought him to the council

¹³ and set up false witnesses, who said, This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law,

¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the traditions which Moses delivered us.

¹⁵ Then all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as the face of an angel.