Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to tell of My statutes
And to take (A)My covenant in your mouth?
17 “For you (B)hate discipline,
And you (C)cast My words behind you.
18 “When you see a thief, you [a](D)are pleased with him,
And [b]you (E)associate with adulterers.
19 “You [c](F)let your mouth loose in evil
And your (G)tongue frames deceit.
20 “You sit and (H)speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 “These things you have done and (I)I kept silence;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will (J)reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.
15 So Nathan went to his house.
Loss of a Child
Then the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s [a]widow bore to David, so that he was very sick. 16 David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David (A)fasted and went and (B)lay all night on the ground. 17 (C)The elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. 18 Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm!” 19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” 20 So David arose from the ground, (D)washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and (E)worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate.
21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? [b]While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 He said, “While the child was still alive, (F)I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘(G)Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ 23 But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? (H)I will go to him, but (I)he will not return to me.”
Solomon Born
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and [c](J)he named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved him 25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him [d]Jedidiah for the Lord’s sake.
The Christian’s Walk
17 (A)So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, (B)that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the (C)futility of their mind, 18 being (D)darkened in their understanding, [a](E)excluded from the life of God because of the (F)ignorance that is in them, because of the (G)hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having (H)become callous, (I)have given themselves over to (J)sensuality [b]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not (K)learn [c]Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you (L)have heard Him and have (M)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you (N)lay aside the (O)old [d]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the (P)lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be (Q)renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and (R)put on the (S)new [e]self, which [f](T)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.