Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
12 The wicked plots against the just,
(A)And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 (B)The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that (C)his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword
And have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.
15 Their sword shall enter their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
16 (D)A little that a righteous man has
Is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
But the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish;
And the enemies of the Lord,
Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.
22 So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent by him. 23 And the messenger said to David, “Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in the field; then we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate. 24 The archers shot from the wall at your servants; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”
25 Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing [a]displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.’ So encourage him.”
26 When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. 27 And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she (A)became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done (B)displeased[b] the Lord.
Plan to Visit Rome
22 For this reason (A)I also have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and (B)having a great desire these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I journey to Spain, [a]I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, (C)and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may (D)enjoy your company for a while. 25 But now (E)I am going to Jerusalem to [b]minister to the saints. 26 For (F)it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For (G)if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, (H)their duty is also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them (I)this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. 29 (J)But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing [c]of the gospel of Christ.
30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and (K)through the love of the Spirit, (L)that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31 (M)that I may be delivered from those in Judea who [d]do not believe, and that (N)my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 (O)that I may come to you with joy (P)by the will of God, and may (Q)be refreshed together with you. 33 Now (R)the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.