Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

David and Bathsheba

11 The spring of the year was the time when kings went out to battle. At that time David sent Joab and his servants and all Israel. They destroyed the sons of Ammon and gathered the army around Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

² When evening came David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof he saw a woman washing herself. The woman was very beautiful. ³ So David sent someone to ask about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Eliam’s daughter Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” ⁴ David sent men and took her. When she came to him, he lay with her. After she had made herself clean again, she returned to her house. ⁵ She was going to have a baby, so she sent someone to tell David, “I am going to have a baby.”

⁶ Then David sent men to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people were doing, and how the war was going. ⁸ Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” And Uriah left the king’s house, and a gift from the king was sent to him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house. ¹⁰ When they told David that Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, “Have you not returned from traveling a long way? Why did you not go down to your house?” ¹¹ Uriah said to David, “The special box of the Lord, and Israel and Judah, are staying in tents. My lord Joab and the servants of my lord are staying in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.” ¹² Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also. Tomorrow I will let you go.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. ¹³ David called him, and he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. In the evening Uriah went out to lie on his bed with his lord’s servants. He did not go down to his house.

¹⁴ In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by Uriah. ¹⁵ He had written in the letter, “Put Uriah in the front of the hardest battle and come away from him, so that he may be killed.”

Sinful Men

14 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are sinful and their actions are sinful. There is no one who does good. ² The Lord has looked down from heaven on the sons of men, to see if there are any who understand and look for God. ³ They have all turned aside. Together they have become bad. There is no one who does good, not even one.

⁴ Will those who sin never learn? They eat up my people like they eat bread. They do not call on the Lord. ⁵ There they are in much fear. For God is with the people of this day who do what is right and good. ⁶ You would put to shame the planning of the poor. But the Lord keeps him safe.

⁷ O, that it would come out of Zion that Israel would be saved! When the Lord returns His people to their land, Jacob will be full of joy and Israel will be glad.

Paul’s Prayer for the Church

¹⁴ For this reason, I bow my knees and pray to the Father. ¹⁵ It is from Him that every family in heaven and on earth has its name. ¹⁶ I pray that because of the riches of His shining-greatness, He will make you strong with power in your hearts through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ I pray that Christ may live in your hearts by faith. I pray that you will be filled with love. ¹⁸ I pray that you will be able to understand how wide and how long and how high and how deep His love is. ¹⁹ I pray that you will know the love of Christ. His love goes beyond anything we can understand. I pray that you will be filled with God Himself.

²⁰ God is able to do much more than we ask or think through His power working in us. ²¹ May we see His shining-greatness in the church. May all people in all time honor Christ Jesus. Let it be so.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand ^(A)

6 After this Jesus went over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. It is sometimes called Tiberias. ² Many people followed Him. They saw the powerful works He did on those who were sick. ³ Jesus went up on a mountain and sat down with His followers. ⁴ The special religious supper to remember how the Jews left Egypt was soon.

⁵ Jesus looked up and saw many people coming to Him. He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed these people?” ⁶ He said this to see what Philip would say. Jesus knew what He would do. ⁷ Philip said to Him, “The money we have is not enough to buy bread to give each one a little.”

⁸ One of His followers was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He said to Jesus, ⁹ “There is a boy here who has five loaves of barley bread and two small fish. What is that for so many people?” ¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was much grass in that place. About five thousand men sat down.

¹¹ Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks. Then He gave the bread to those who were sitting down. The fish were given out the same way. The people had as much as they wanted. ¹² When they were filled, Jesus said to His followers, “Gather up the pieces that are left. None will be wasted.” ¹³ The followers gathered the pieces together. Twelve baskets were filled with pieces of barley bread. These were left after all the people had eaten.

¹⁴ The people saw the powerful work Jesus had done. They said, “It is true! This is the One Who speaks for God Who is to come into the world.”

Jesus Walks on the Water ^(B)

¹⁵ Jesus knew they were about to come and take Him to make Him king, so He went to the mountain by Himself. ¹⁶ When evening had come, His followers went down to the lake. ¹⁷ They got into a boat and started to cross the lake to go to the city of Capernaum. By this time it was dark. Jesus had not come back to them yet. ¹⁸ A strong wind was making high waves on the lake. ¹⁹ They were about half way across the lake when they saw Jesus walking on the water. As He got near the boat, they were afraid. ²⁰ But Jesus called to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” ²¹ They were glad to take Him into the boat. At once they got to the other side where they wanted to go.