Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁵ And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

⁶ So the people went out into the field against Israel. And the battle was in the wood of Ephraim,

⁷ where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David; and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.

⁸ For the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country; and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹ And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth, and the mule that was under him went away.

¹⁵ And ten young men who bore Joab’s armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

³¹ And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, “Tidings, my lord the king; for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all those who rose up against thee.”

³² And the king said unto the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” And the Cushite answered, “The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.”

³³ And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, thus he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

130 Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord;

² Lord, hear my voice! Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

³ If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

⁴ But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope.

⁶ My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning— I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

⁷ Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption.

⁸ And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

²⁵ Therefore, putting away lying, let every man speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath,

²⁷ neither give place to the devil.

²⁸ Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

²⁹ Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to use in edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

³⁰ And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice;

³² and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

5 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

² and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.

³⁵ And Jesus said unto them, “I am the Bread of Life. He that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in Me shall never thirst.

⁴¹ The Jews then murmured at Him, because He said, “I am the Bread which came down from Heaven.”

⁴² And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he saith, ‘I came down from Heaven’?”

⁴³ Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, “Murmur not among yourselves.

⁴⁴ No man can come to Me unless the Father who hath sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up at the Last Day.

⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned from the Father cometh unto Me.

⁴⁶ Not that any man hath seen the Father, save He that is of God; He hath seen the Father.

⁴⁷ Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth in Me hath everlasting life.

⁴⁸ I am that Bread of Life.

⁴⁹ Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

⁵⁰ This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die.

⁵¹ I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”