Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to recite my statutes
and mention my covenant with your mouth,[a]
17 while you yourself hate discipline,
and cast my words behind you?
18 When you see a thief, then you are pleased with him,
and your association is with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and you harness your tongue to deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your mother’s son.
21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
You imagined that I was just like you.
I will rebuke you and present an argument before your eyes.
22 Now consider this, you who forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there will be none to deliver.
23 He who sacrifices a thank offering honors me,
and he who orders his way;
I will show him the salvation of God.”
20 Absalom her brother said to her, “Was Amnon your brother with you? But now, my sister, be quiet; he is your brother. Do not take this matter to heart.”[a] So Tamar remained a desolate woman in the house of Absalom her brother.
Absalom Kills Amnon
21 Now King David heard all these things, and he became very angry.[b] 22 Absalom did not speak with Amnon either bad or good,[c] for Absalom hated Amnon over the matter when[d] he raped Tamar his sister. 23 About two full years later,[e] Absalom’s shearers were in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom summoned all the sons of the king. 24 Then Absalom went to the king and said, “Look, here are your servant’s shearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant. 25 The king said to Absalom, “No my son, not all of us shall go, so that we not be a burden to you.” And he urged him, but he was not willing to go, but he blessed him. 26 So Absalom said, “But will you not let Amnon my brother go with us?” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom pressed him, so he sent Amnon with him and all of the sons of the king. 28 Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Please watch. At the moment the heart of Amnon is tipsy[f] with wine, then I shall say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ and you shall kill him! Don’t be afraid. Is it not I myself who has commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant![g] 29 So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon just as Absalom commanded, and all the sons of the king got up, and each mounted his mule and fled.
30 While they were on the way,[h] the message came to David, “Absalom has killed all the sons of the king, and not one of them was left.” 31 Then the king rose and tore his garments, and he lay on the ground, and all his servants standing by were tearing their garments. 32 Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David, responded and said, “My lord should not think that all the young men, the sons of the king, are dead, because only Amnon is dead. Absalom was talking about it,[i] as it was being determined from the day he[j] raped Tamar his sister. 33 So then, let not my lord the king set his heart on this matter, thinking, ‘All the sons of the king are dead,’ for only Amnon alone is dead.”
Absalom Flees
34 So Absalom fled, and the young man who was keeping watch lifted up his eyes and saw, and there were many people coming from the road behind him from the side of the mountain. 35 Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the sons of the king have come. According to the word of your servant, so it has come about.” 36 When he finished speaking, look, the sons of the king came and they lifted up their voice and wept. Also, the king and all his servants wept a very great weeping.
The Feeding of Four Thousand
8 In those days there was[a] again a large crowd, and they did not have[b] anything they could eat. Summoning the disciples, he said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have remained with me three days already and do not have anything to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes they will give out on the way, and some of them have come from far away.” 4 And his disciples answered him, “Where is anyone able to feed these people with bread here in the desert?” 5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” So they said, “Seven.” 6 And he commanded the crowd to recline for a meal on the ground, and taking the seven loaves, after he[c] had given thanks he broke them[d] and began giving[e] them[f] to his disciples so that they could set them[g] before them.[h] And they set them[i] before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish, and after[j] giving thanks for them, he said to set these before them also. 8 And they ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces that were left, seven baskets full. 9 Now there were about four thousand. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and[k] went to the district of Dalmanutha.
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