Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁵ The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” All the people heard the king’s orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

⁶ Then David’s forces marched into the field to engage Israel in battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ Israel’s army was defeated by David’s soldiers, and the slaughter there was vast that day—twenty thousand dead. ⁸ The battle spread over the entire area, and that day the forest claimed more people than the sword.

Absalom’s Death

⁹ Absalom was riding on his mule when he happened to meet David’s soldiers. When the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so he was suspended in midair.^[a]

¹⁵ ten young men who were Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.

³¹ Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: The Lord has vindicated you today by freeing you from all who rise against you!”

³² The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?”

The Cushite replied, “I wish that the enemies of my lord the king, along with all who rise up against you with evil intent, would become like that young man.”^(A)

³³ The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber above the city gate and wept. As he walked, he cried, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!” ^(B)

Psalm 130

Awaiting Redemption

A song of ascents.

²⁵ Therefore, putting away^(A) lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor,^[a](B) because we are members of one another. ²⁶ Be angry and do not sin.^[b](C) Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and don’t give the devil an opportunity. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share^(D) with anyone in need. ²⁹ No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need,^[c] so that it gives grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit.^(E) You were sealed by him^[d] for the day of redemption.^{(F) 31} Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. ³² And be kind^(G) and compassionate^(H) to one another, forgiving^(I) one another, just as God also forgave you^[e] in Christ.

5 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, ² and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us,^(J) a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.

³⁵ “I am^(A) the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me^(B) will ever be hungry,^(C) and no one who believes in me^(D) will ever be thirsty^(E) again.

⁴¹ Therefore the Jews started grumbling about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph,^(A) whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

⁴³ Jesus answered them, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. ⁴⁴ No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws^[a] him, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ^(B) And they will all be taught by God.^[b](C) Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father^(D) comes to me— ⁴⁶ not that anyone has seen the Father^(E) except the one who is from God.^(F) He has seen the Father.^(G)

⁴⁷ “Truly I tell you, anyone who believes^[c] has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your ancestors ate the manna^(H) in the wilderness,^(I) and they died. ⁵⁰ This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die.^{(J) 51} I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live^(K) forever.^(L) The bread that I will give for the life^(M) of the world is my flesh.”^(N)