Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
34 Samuel went to Ramah,(A) and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah(B) of Saul. 35 Even to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul.(C) Samuel mourned for Saul,(D) and the Lord regretted He had made Saul king over Israel.
Samuel Anoints David
16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul,(E) since I have rejected him as king over Israel?(F) Fill your horn with oil(G) and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem(H) because I have selected a king from his sons.”
2 Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!”
The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’(I) 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do.(J) You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate to you.”(K)
4 Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem.(L) When the elders of the town met him, they trembled[a] and asked, “Do[b] you come in peace?”(M)
5 “In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves(N) and come with me to the sacrifice.”[c] Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab(O) and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before Him.”
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees,[d] for man sees what is visible,[e] but the Lord sees the heart.”(P)
8 Jesse called Abinadab(Q) and presented him to Samuel. “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. 9 Then Jesse presented Shammah,(R) but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” 10 After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” 11 Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,”(S) he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” 12 So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy,[f] handsome appearance.(T)
Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.”(U) 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil, anointed him(V) in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord took control of David from that day forward.(W) Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
Psalm 20
Deliverance in Battle
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 May Yahweh answer you in a day of trouble;(A)
may the name of Jacob’s God protect you.(B)
2 May He send you help from the sanctuary
and sustain you from Zion.(C)
3 May He remember all your offerings
and accept your burnt offering.(D)
4 May He give you what your heart desires(E)
and fulfill your whole purpose.(F)
5 Let us shout for joy at your victory(G)
and lift the banner in the name of our God.(H)
May Yahweh fulfill all your requests.(I)
6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to His anointed;(J)
He will answer him from His holy heaven
with mighty victories from[a] His right hand.(K)
7 Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses,
but we take pride in the name of Yahweh our God.(L)
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand firm.(M)
9 Lord, give victory to the king!(N)
May He[b] answer us on the day that we call.
6 So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith,(A) not by sight,(B) 8 and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.(C) 9 Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing(D) to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the tribunal(E) of Christ,(F) so that each may be repaid(G) for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
11 Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord,(A) we seek to persuade people. We are completely open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in the outward appearance[a] rather than in the heart. 13 For if we are out of our mind,(B) it is for God; if we have a sound mind,(C) it is for you.
14 For Christ’s love compels[a] us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all,(A) then all died. 15 And He died for all(B) so that those who live should no longer live for themselves,(C) but for the One(D) who died for them and was raised.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
16 From now on, then, we do not know[b] anyone in a purely human way.[c] Even if we have known[d] Christ in a purely human way,[e] yet now we no longer know[f] Him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;(E) old things have passed away, and look,(F) new things[g] have come.(G)
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 “The kingdom of God(A) is like this,” He said. “A man scatters seed on the ground; 27 he sleeps(B) and rises(C)—night(D) and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he doesn’t know how. 28 The soil produces a crop(E) by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain(F) on the head. 29 But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle,(G) because the harvest(H) has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And(I) He said: “How can we illustrate the kingdom of God,(J) or what parable(K) can we use to describe it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed(L) that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground. 32 And when sown,(M) it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables,(N) and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky(O) can nest in its shade.”
Using Parables
33 He would speak the word(P) to them with many parables(Q) like these, as they were able to understand.(R) 34 And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples.(S)
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