Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
David King over All Israel
5 (A)Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and [a]said, “Behold, we are (B)your bone and your flesh. 2 Previously, when Saul was king over us, (C)you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘(D)You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be (E)a ruler over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David (F)made a covenant with them before the Lord at Hebron; then (G)they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was (H)thirty years old when he became king, and (I)he reigned forty years. 5 At Hebron (J)he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
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.
2 I know a man (A)in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, (B)God knows—such a man was (C)caught up to the (D)third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, (E)God knows— 4 was (F)caught up into (G)Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5 (H)On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my (I)weaknesses. 6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be (J)foolish, (K)for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.
A Thorn in the Flesh
7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the (L)revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a (M)thorn in the flesh, a (N)messenger of Satan to [a]torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord (O)three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for (P)power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather (Q)boast [b]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore (R)I am well content with weaknesses, with [c]insults, with (S)distresses, with (T)persecutions, with (U)difficulties, (V)for Christ’s sake; for (W)when I am weak, then I am strong.
Teaching at Nazareth
6 (A)Jesus went out from there and *came into [a](B)His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. 2 When the Sabbath came, He began (C)to teach in the synagogue; and the (D)many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such [b]miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 Is not this (E)the carpenter, (F)the son of Mary, and brother of [c]James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not (G)His sisters here with us?” And they took (H)offense at Him. 4 Jesus said to them, “(I)A prophet is not without honor except in [d](J)his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” 5 And He could do no [e]miracle there except that He (K)laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He wondered at their unbelief.
(L)And He was going around the villages teaching.
The Twelve Sent Out
7 (M)And (N)He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out (O)in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 8 (P)and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no [f]bag, no money in their belt— 9 but [g]to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two [h]tunics.” 10 And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you [i]leave town. 11 Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, (Q)shake the dust [j]off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” 12 (R)They went out and [k]preached that men should repent. 13 And they were casting out many demons and (S)were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.
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