Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
4 Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named (A)Goliath, from (B)Gath, whose height was six [a]cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor [b]which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He also had bronze [c]greaves on his legs and a (C)bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 7 (D)The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; (E)his shield-carrier also walked before him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you (F)servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. 9 (G)If he is able to fight with me and [d]kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and [e]kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” 10 Again the Philistine said, “(H)I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
19 For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”
David Accepts the Challenge
20 So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the (A)circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army. 22 Then David left his (B)baggage in the [a]care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. 23 As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke (C)these same words; and David heard them.
32 David said to Saul, “(A)Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; (B)your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 Then Saul said to David, “(C)You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went out after him and [a]attacked him, and (D)rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and [b]struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has [c]killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “(E)The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “(F)Go, and may the Lord be with you.” 38 Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. 39 David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them [d]off. 40 He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and (G)his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.
41 Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, (H)he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and (I)ruddy, with a handsome appearance. 43 The Philistine said to David, “(J)Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And (K)the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh (L)to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, (M)but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the (N)dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, (O)that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that (P)the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; (Q)for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.”
48 Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that (R)David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.
57 So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and (A)brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand. 58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “(B)I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
Jonathan and David
18 Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that (C)the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and (D)Jonathan loved him as himself. 2 Saul took him that day and (E)did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then (F)Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 (G)Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. 5 So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and [a]prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
Saul Turns against David
10 Now it came about on the next day that (A)an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and (B)he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, [a](C)as usual; and [b](D)a spear was in Saul’s hand. 11 (E)Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will [c]pin David to the wall.” But David [d]escaped from his presence twice.
12 Now (F)Saul was afraid of David, (G)for the Lord was with him but (H)had departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul removed him from [e]his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and (I)he went out and came in before the people. 14 David was [f]prospering in all his ways for (J)the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw that he was [g]prospering greatly, he dreaded him. 16 But (K)all Israel and Judah loved David, and he went out and came in before them.
9 [a]The Lord also will be a (A)stronghold for the oppressed,
A stronghold in times of trouble;
10 And [b]those who (B)know Your name will put their trust in You,
For You, O Lord, have not (C)forsaken those who seek You.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who (D)dwells in Zion;
(E)Declare among the peoples His deeds.
12 For (F)He who [c]requires blood remembers them;
He does not forget (G)the cry of the afflicted.
13 Be gracious to me, O Lord;
See my affliction from those (H)who hate me,
You who (I)lift me up from the gates of death,
14 That I may tell of (J)all Your praises,
That in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may (K)rejoice in Your [d]salvation.
15 The nations have sunk down (L)in the pit which they have made;
In the (M)net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16 The Lord has (N)made Himself known;
He has (O)executed judgment.
In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared. [e]Higgaion [f]Selah.
17 The wicked will [g](P)return to [h]Sheol,
Even all the nations who (Q)forget God.
18 For the (R)needy will not always be forgotten,
Nor the (S)hope of the afflicted perish forever.
19 (T)Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be (U)judged before You.
20 Put them (V)in fear, O Lord;
Let the nations know that they are (W)but men. Selah.
The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For (A)brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious (B)oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the (C)edge of his robes.
3 It is like the (D)dew of (E)Hermon
Coming down upon the (F)mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord (G)commanded the blessing—(H)life forever.
Their Ministry Commended
6 And (A)working together with Him, (B)we also urge you not to receive (C)the grace of God in vain— 2 for He says,
“(D)At the acceptable time I listened to you,
And on the day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— 3 (E)giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 4 but in everything (F)commending ourselves as [a](G)servants of God, (H)in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5 in (I)beatings, in imprisonments, in (J)tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in (K)hunger, 6 in purity, in (L)knowledge, in (M)patience, in kindness, in the (N)Holy Spirit, in (O)genuine love, 7 in (P)the word of truth, in (Q)the power of God; by (R)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 by glory and (S)dishonor, by (T)evil report and good report; regarded as (U)deceivers and yet (V)true; 9 as unknown [b]yet well-known, as (W)dying [c]yet behold, (X)we live; as [d]punished [e]yet not put to death, 10 as (Y)sorrowful yet always (Z)rejoicing, as (AA)poor yet making many rich, as (AB)having nothing [f]yet possessing (AC)all things.
11 (AD)Our mouth [g]has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our (AE)heart is opened wide. 12 You are not restrained [h]by us, but (AF)you are restrained in your own [i]affections. 13 Now in a like (AG)exchange—I speak as to (AH)children—open wide to us also.
Jesus Stills the Sea
35 (A)On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 [a]Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them (B)in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and (C)rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and [b]it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you [c]afraid? (D)Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.