Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Beauty and Glory of Zion.
A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah.
48 (A)Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
In the (B)city of our God, His (C)holy mountain.
2 (D)Beautiful in elevation, (E)the joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion in the far north,
The (F)city of the great King.
3 God, in her palaces,
Has made Himself known as a (G)stronghold.
4 For, lo, the (H)kings assembled themselves,
They passed by together.
5 They saw it, then they were amazed;
They were (I)terrified, they [a]fled in alarm.
6 [b]Panic seized them there,
Anguish, as of (J)a woman in childbirth.
7 With the (K)east wind
You (L)break the (M)ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
In the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God;
God will (N)establish her forever. [c]Selah.
9 We have thought on (O)Your lovingkindness, O God,
In the midst of Your temple.
10 As is Your (P)name, O God,
So is Your (Q)praise to the ends of the earth;
Your (R)right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let Mount (S)Zion be glad,
Let the (T)daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion and go around her;
Count her (U)towers;
13 Consider her (V)ramparts;
Go through her palaces,
That you may (W)tell it to the next generation.
14 For [d]such is God,
Our God forever and ever;
He will (X)guide us [e]until death.
The House of David Strengthened
3 Now (A)there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David grew steadily stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker continually.
2 (B)Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by (C)Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the [a]widow of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of (D)Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of (E)Geshur; 4 and the fourth, (F)Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David at Hebron.
Abner Joins David
6 It came about while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that (G)Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was (H)Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and [b]Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “(I)Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman. 9 (J)May God do so to Abner, and more also, if (K)as the Lord has sworn to David, I do not accomplish this for him, 10 (L)to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, (M)from Dan even to Beersheba.” 11 And he could no longer answer Abner a word, because he was afraid of him.
12 Then Abner sent messengers to David in his place, saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”
7 [a](A)You are looking at [b]things as they are outwardly. (B)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, (C)so also are we. 8 For even if (D)I boast somewhat [c]further about our (E)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, 9 [d]for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his [e]personal presence is (F)unimpressive and (G)his speech contemptible.” 11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.
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