Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
16 But God says to the wicked:
“What right do you have to recite my statutes
and to take my covenant on your lips?(A)
17 You hate instruction
and fling my words behind you.(B)
18 When you see a thief,
you make friends with him,
and you associate with adulterers.(C)
19 You unleash your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue for deceit.(D)
20 You sit, maligning your brother,
slandering your mother’s son.(E)
21 You have done these things, and I kept silent;
you thought I was just like you.(F)
But I will rebuke you
and lay out the case before you.[a](G)
20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman(A) in the house of her brother Absalom.
Absalom Murders Amnon
21 When King David heard about all these things, he was furious.[a] 22 Absalom didn’t say anything to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon since he disgraced his sister Tamar.
23 Two years later, Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24 Then he went to the king and said, “Your servant has just hired sheepshearers. Will the king and his servants please come with your servant?”
25 The king replied to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he wasn’t willing to go, though he did bless him.
26 “If not,” Absalom said, “please let my brother Amnon go with us.”
The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons.[b]
28 Now Absalom commanded his young men, “Watch Amnon until he is in a good mood from the wine. When I order you to strike Amnon, then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Am I not the one who has commanded you? Be strong and valiant!” (B) 29 So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the rest of the king’s sons got up, and each fled on his mule.
30 While they were on the way, a report reached David: “Absalom struck down all the king’s sons; not even one of them survived!” 31 In response the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.(C)
32 But Jonadab, son of David’s brother Shimeah,(D) spoke up: “My lord must not think they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, because only Amnon is dead. In fact, Absalom has planned this[c] ever since the day Amnon disgraced his sister Tamar. 33 So now, my lord the king, don’t take seriously the report that says all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man who was standing watch looked up, there were many people coming from the road west of him from the side of the mountain.[d] 35 Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons have come! It’s exactly like your servant said.” 36 Just as he finished speaking, the king’s sons entered and wept loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly.
Feeding Four Thousand
8 In(A) those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He called(B) the disciples(C) and said to them, 2 “I have compassion(D) on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way,(E) and some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to feed(F) these people?”
5 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked them.
“Seven,” they said. 6 He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke(G) them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. So they served them to the crowd. 7 They also had a few small fish, and after he had blessed them, he said these were to be served as well. 8 They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces. 9 About four thousand were there. He dismissed them. 10 And he immediately got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
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