Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

²⁶ When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned over her husband. ²⁷ When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his household, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing which David had done was evil in the eyes of Yahweh.

Nathan Reproves David

12 So Yahweh sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said, “Two men were in a certain city; one was rich and the other was poor. ² The rich man had very many flocks and herds, ³ but the poor man had nothing except for one small ewe lamb which he had bought. He had nurtured her, and she grew up with him and with his children together. She used to eat from his morsel and drink from his cup, and she used to lie in his lap and became like a daughter for him. ⁴ And a visitor came to the rich man, but he was reluctant^[a] to take from his flocks or from his herds to prepare a meal for the traveler when he came to him. So he took the ewe lamb of the poor man and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” ⁵ Then the anger of David was kindled^[b] against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives,^[c] the man who has done this deserves to die!^{[d] 6} He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he has done this thing, and because he had no pity.” ⁷ Then Nathan said to him, “You are the man! Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘I anointed you as king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave you the household of your master and the women of your master into your lap. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah; if that had been too little, I would have added to you much more.^{[e] 9} Why have you despised the word of Yahweh by doing evil in his eyes?^[f] Uriah the Hittite you have struck down with the sword, and his wife you have taken to yourself as wife! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites!^{[g] 10} So then, a sword will not turn away from your house forever, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife!’ ¹¹ Thus says Yahweh, ‘Look, I am going to raise up evil against you from within your house, and I will take your women before your eyes, and I will give them to your neighbor, and he shall sleep with your wives in broad daylight.^{[h] 12} Though you did this in secret, I will do this thing before all of Israel in broad daylight!’”^[i]

David Repents, But the Child Dies

¹³ Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh!”^[j] Nathan said to David, “Yahweh has also forgiven your sin; you shall not die.

A Prayer of Repentance and Plea for Mercy

For the music director. A psalm of David.

When Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.^[a]

Christians Should Live in Unity

4 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to live in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called: ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, ³ being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; ⁴ one body and one Spirit (just as also you were called with one hope of your calling), ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.

Gifted Leaders Bring the Church to Maturity

⁷ Now to each one of us was given this grace, according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

⁹ Now “he ascended,” what is it, except that he also descended^[b] to the lower regions of the earth? ¹⁰ The one who descended himself is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order that he might fill all things.

¹¹ And he himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers ¹² for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be infants, tossed about by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness with reference to the scheming of deceit. ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow into him with reference to all things, who is the head, Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined together and held together by every supporting ligament, according to the working by measure of each single part, the growth of the body makes for the building up of itself in love.

²⁴ So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.

²⁵ And when they^[a] found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” ²⁶ Jesus replied to them and said, “Truly, truly I say to you, you seek me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were satisfied! ²⁷ Do not work for the food that perishes, but the food that remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has set his seal on this one.”

²⁸ So they said to him, “What shall we do that we can accomplish the works of God?” ²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God: that you believe in the one whom that one sent.” ³⁰ So they said to him, “Then what sign will you perform, so that we can see it^[b] and believe you? What will you do? ³¹ Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’^[c]

³² Then Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven! ³³ For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴ So they said to him, “Sir, always give us this bread!”

³⁵ Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty again.