Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Thanksgiving for the King

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

David Is Made King of Israel^(A)

5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said to him, “Look, we are your own ·family [flesh and blood; ^Lbone and flesh]. ² ·Even [In the past] when Saul was [^Lour] king, you were the one who led Israel ·in battle [^Lout and in]. The Lord said to you, ‘You will be a shepherd for my people Israel. You will be their ·leader [ruler].’”

³ So all the elders of Israel came to King David at Hebron, and he ·made [^Lcut] an ·agreement [treaty; covenant] with them in Hebron in the presence of the Lord. Then they ·poured oil on [anointed] David to make him king ·over [of] Israel.

David Captures Jerusalem^(B)

⁴ David was thirty years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] forty years. ⁵ He was king over Judah ·in [at; from] Hebron for seven years and six months, and he was king over all Israel and Judah ·in [at; from] Jerusalem for thirty-three years.

⁶ When the king and his men went to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites who lived there, the Jebusites said to David, “You can’t ·get inside our city [^Lcome in here]. Even the blind and the ·crippled can stop you [^Llame can hold you off/turn you away].” They thought David could not enter their city. ⁷ But David did ·take the city of Jerusalem with its strong walls [capture the stronghold/fortress of Zion], and it ·became [is] the City of David [^Cit did not belong to a specific tribe; David made it the national capital].

⁸ That day David said to his men, “To ·defeat [^Lstrike] the Jebusites you must go through the water tunnel. ·Then you can reach [or David hates] those ·‘crippled’ [lame] and ‘blind’ enemies. This is why people say, ‘The blind and the ·crippled [lame] may not enter the ·palace [^Lhouse; or Temple].’”

⁹ So David lived in the ·strong, walled city [stronghold; fortress] and called it the City of David. David built more buildings around it, ·beginning where the land was filled in. He also built more buildings inside the city [^L…from the Millo/terraces inward; ^CMillo may refer to earth-filled terraces that allowed the expansion of the city]. ¹⁰ He became ·stronger and stronger [more and more powerful/great], because the Lord God ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] was with him.

Paul Tells About His Sufferings

¹⁶ I tell you again: No one should think I am a fool. But if you think so, accept me as you would accept a fool. Then I can ·brag [boast] a little, too. ¹⁷ ·When I brag because I feel sure of myself [By boasting so confidently], I am not talking ·as the Lord would talk [or with the Lord’s authority; ^Laccording to the Lord] but as a fool. ¹⁸ Many people are ·bragging [boasting] ·about their lives in the world [or as the world does; or by human standards; ^Laccording to the flesh]. So I will ·brag [boast] too. ¹⁹ You are wise, so you will gladly be patient with fools! [^CPaul sarcastically suggests that the “wise” Corinthians, who listened to the false apostles, would surely listen to his “foolishness.”] ²⁰ You ·are even patient [bear; put up] with those who ·order you around [^Lenslave you], or ·use you [exploit you; ^Ldevour (your possessions)], or ·trick [take advantage of] you, or ·think they are better than you [act arrogantly; put on airs], or ·hit [slap] you in the face. ²¹ It is shameful to me to say this, but we were too “weak” to do those things to you!

But if anyone else ·is brave enough [dares] to ·brag [boast], then I also will ·be brave and brag [dare to boast]. (I am talking as a fool.) ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they from Abraham’s ·family [descendants; ^Lseed]? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am serving him more. (I am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much harder than they. I have been in prison more often [Acts 16:23–40]. I have been ·hurt more in beatings [flogged more severely; Acts 16:22]. I have been near death many times. ²⁴ Five times the Jews have given me ·their punishment of thirty-nine lashes with a whip [^Lforty minus one; ^Ca shorthand phrase for the standard Jewish punishment; Deut. 25:1–3 allowed a maximum of forty lashes; the Jews gave thirty-nine to avoid breaking the law]. ²⁵ Three different times I was beaten with rods [^Ca Roman punishment]. One time I was almost stoned to death [Acts 14:19]. Three times I was in ships that wrecked, and one of those times I spent a night and a day in the sea [^CPaul’s shipwreck in Acts 27 occurred after writing this (c. ad 60), so he experienced at least four shipwrecks]. ²⁶ I have gone on many travels and have been in danger from rivers, from ·thieves [bandits], from my own people [^Cthe Jews], and from the Gentiles. I have been in danger in cities, in ·places where no one lives [the desert/wilderness], and on the sea. And I have been in danger with false ·Christians [^Lbrothers]. ²⁷ I have done hard and tiring work, and many times I did not sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty, and many times I have been without food. I have been cold and ·without clothes [or destitute; ^Lnaked]. ²⁸ Besides all this, there is on me every day the ·load [pressure] of my ·concern [anxiety] for all the churches. ²⁹ I feel weak every time someone is weak [^LWho is weak, and I am not weak?], and ·I feel upset every time someone is led into sin [^LWho is led into sin, and I am not indignant/^Lburning (with anger)?].

³⁰ If I must ·brag [boast], I will ·brag [boast] about the things that show I am weak. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is to be praised forever, knows I am not lying. ³² When I was in Damascus, the ·governor [^Lethnarch; ^Ca title for a minor ruler] under King Aretas wanted to arrest me, so he put guards around the city. ³³ But ·my friends lowered me [^LI was lowered] in a basket through ·a hole [or window] in the city wall. So I escaped from ·the governor [^Lhis hands].