Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Praise for Deliverance.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

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.

^6 (K)Now the king and his men went to ^(L)Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to ^[b]David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; ^[c]thinking, “David cannot enter here.” ⁷ Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is ^(M)the city of David. ⁸ David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” Therefore they say, “The blind or the lame shall not come into the house.” ⁹ So David lived in the stronghold and called it ^(N)the city of David. And David built all around from the ^[d](O)Millo and inward. ^10 (P)David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was with him.

^16 (A)Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying, I am not saying ^[a](B)as the Lord would, but as ^(C)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸ Since ^(D)many boast ^(E)according to the flesh, I will boast also. ¹⁹ For you, ^(F)being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. ²⁰ For you tolerate it if anyone ^(G)enslaves you, anyone ^(H)devours you, anyone ^(I)takes advantage of you, anyone ^(J)exalts himself, anyone ^(K)hits you in the face. ²¹ To my ^(L)shame I must say that we have been ^(M)weak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else ^(N)is bold—I ^(O)speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself. ²² Are they ^(P)Hebrews? ^(Q)So am I. Are they ^(R)Israelites? ^(S)So am I. Are they ^[b](T)descendants of Abraham? ^(U)So am I. ²³ Are they ^(V)servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in ^[c](W)far more labors, in ^[d](X)far more imprisonments, ^[e](Y)beaten times without number, often in ^(Z)danger of death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews ^(AA)thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(AB)beaten with rods, once I was ^(AC)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my ^(AD)countrymen, dangers from the ^(AE)Gentiles, dangers in the ^(AF)city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among ^(AG)false brethren; ²⁷ I have been in ^(AH)labor and hardship, ^[f]through many sleepless nights, in ^(AI)hunger and thirst, often ^(AJ)without food, in cold and ^[g](AK)exposure. ²⁸ Apart from such ^[h]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ^(AL)all the churches. ²⁹ Who is ^(AM)weak without my being weak? Who is ^[i]led into sin ^[j]without my intense concern?

³⁰ If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my ^(AN)weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(AO)He who is blessed forever, ^(AP)knows that I am not lying. ³² In ^(AQ)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ^(AR)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, ³³ and I was let down in a basket ^(AS)through a window ^[k]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.