Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Hope in the Lord’s Forgiving Love.

A Song of Ascents.

²⁷ It came about the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David’s place was empty; so Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” ²⁸ Jonathan then answered Saul, “^(A)David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem, ²⁹ for he said, ‘Please ^[a]let me go, since our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to attend. And now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”

Saul Is Angry with Jonathan

³⁰ Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? ³¹ For ^[b]as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for ^(B)he ^[c]must surely die.” ³² But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, “^(C)Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” ³³ Then ^(D)Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down; ^(E)so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death. ³⁴ Then Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved over David because his father had dishonored him.

³⁵ Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field for the appointment with David, and a little lad was with him. ³⁶ He said to his lad, “^(F)Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot.” As the lad was running, he shot ^[d]an arrow past him. ³⁷ When the lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, “^(G)Is not the arrow beyond you?” ³⁸ And Jonathan called after the lad, “Hurry, be quick, do not stay!” And Jonathan’s lad picked up the arrow and came to his master. ³⁹ But the lad was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter. ⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, “Go, bring them to the city.” ⁴¹ When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and ^(H)bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but ^(I)David wept the more. ⁴² Jonathan said to David, “^(J)Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘^(K)The Lord will be between me and you, and between my ^[e]descendants and your ^[f]descendants forever.’” ^[g]Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city.

³¹ And ^(A)He came down to ^(B)Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; ³² and ^(C)they were amazed at His teaching, for ^(D)His ^[a]message was with authority. ³³ In the synagogue there was a man ^[b]possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ³⁴ “Let us alone! ^[c](E)What business do we have with each other, Jesus ^[d]of ^(F)Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—^(G)the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ But Jesus ^(H)rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. ³⁶ And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, “What is ^[e]this message? For ^(I)with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.” ³⁷ And ^(J)the report about Him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district.