Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

David Brings the Ark of Yahweh to Jerusalem

6 David again gathered all the chosen men in Israel, thirty thousand. ² David got up and went and all the people who were with him, from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called the name, the name of Yahweh of hosts, upon which the cherubim sit.^{[a] 3} They loaded the ark of God on a new utility cart, and they carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Now Uzza and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new utility cart along. ⁴ So they brought it out from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill with the ark of God, and Ahio was going before the ark. ⁵ Now David and all the house of Israel were dancing before Yahweh, with all kinds of musical instruments made from ash trees, and with zithers, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

¹² It was told to King David, “Yahweh has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and all that is his because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with jubilation. ¹³ It happened that when the carriers of the ark of Yahweh had marched six steps that he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. ¹⁴ Now David was dancing with all his might before Yahweh, and David was wearing^[a] a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of Yahweh with shouts of joyful acclaim and with the sound of the trumpet. ¹⁶ It happened that when the ark of Yahweh came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh, and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought the ark of Yahweh and set it in its place in the middle of the tent which David had pitched for it. Then David offered up burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the presence of Yahweh. ¹⁸ When David had finished from the sacrificing of the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of hosts. ¹⁹ Then he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, from man to woman, to each: one ring-shaped piece of bread, one cake of dates, and one cake of raisins; and all the people went each to his house.

The King of Glory

A psalm of David.^[a]

Praise to God for Spiritual Blessings

³ Blessed is^[a] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love,^{[b] 5} having predestined us to adoption through Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of his grace that he bestowed on us in the beloved, ⁷ in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ that he caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight, ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in him, ¹⁰ for the administration of the fullness of times, to bring together all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him ¹¹ in whom also we were chosen, having been predestined according to the purpose of the One who works all things according to the counsel of his will, ¹² that we who hoped beforehand in Christ should be for the praise of his glory, ¹³ in whom also you, when you heard^[c] the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also when you believed you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

Herod Kills John the Baptist

¹⁴ And King Herod heard it,^[a] because his name had become known. And they were saying, “John, the one who baptizes, has been raised from the dead, and because of this these miraculous powers are at work in him.” ¹⁵ But others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and others were saying, “He is a prophet like one of the prophets.” ¹⁶ But when^[b] Herod heard it,^[c] he said, “John whom I beheaded—this one has been raised!” ¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent and^[d] arrested John and bound him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not permitted for you to have your brother’s wife.” ¹⁹ So Herodias held a grudge against him and was wanting to kill him, and was not able to do so. ²⁰ For Herod was afraid of John, because he^[e] knew him to be a righteous and holy man and protected him. And when he^[f] listened to him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he listened to him gladly. ²¹ And a suitable day came when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers and military tribunes and the most prominent men of Galilee. ²² And when^[g] the daughter of Herodias herself^[h] came in and danced and pleased^[i] Herod and his dinner guests,^[j] the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it^[k] to you.” ²³ And he swore to her,^[l] “Anything whatever you ask me for I will give you, up to half my kingdom!” ²⁴ And she went out and^[m] said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the baptizer.” ²⁵ And she came in immediately with haste to the king and^[n] asked, saying, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” ²⁶ And although he^[o] was deeply grieved, the king, because of his^[p] oaths and dinner guests,^[q] did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ And immediately the king sent an executioner and^[r] ordered him^[s] to bring his head. And he went and^[t] beheaded him in the prison. ²⁸ And he brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ And when^[u] his disciples heard this,^[v] they came and took away his corpse and placed it in a tomb.