Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors.
For the choir director; set to [a]Al-tashheth. A [b]Mikhtam of David, [c]when he fled from Saul in the cave.
57 Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me,
For my soul (A)takes refuge in You;
And in the (B)shadow of Your wings I will take refuge
Until destruction (C)passes by.
2 I will cry to God Most High,
To God who (D)accomplishes all things for me.
3 He will (E)send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches him who [d](F)tramples upon me. [e]Selah.
God will send forth His (G)lovingkindness and His [f]truth.
4 My soul is among (H)lions;
I must lie among those who breathe forth fire,
Even the sons of men, whose (I)teeth are spears and arrows
And their (J)tongue a sharp sword.
5 (K)Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
6 They have [g]prepared a (L)net for my steps;
My soul is (M)bowed down;
They (N)dug a pit before me;
They themselves have (O)fallen into the midst of it. Selah.
7 (P)My (Q)heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
8 Awake, (R)my glory!
Awake, (S)harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
9 (T)I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the [h]nations.
10 For Your (U)lovingkindness is great to the heavens
And Your [i]truth to the clouds.
11 (V)Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
David Flees Jerusalem
13 Then a messenger came to David, saying, “(A)The hearts of the men of Israel are [a]with Absalom.” 14 David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “(B)Arise and let us flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go in haste, or he will overtake us quickly and bring down calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 Then the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.” 16 So the king went out and all his household [b]with him. But (C)the king left ten concubines to keep the house. 17 The king went out and all the people [c]with him, and they stopped at the last house. 18 Now all his servants passed on beside him, (D)all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, (E)six hundred men who had come [d]with him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19 Then the king said to (F)Ittai the Gittite, “Why will you also go with us? Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile; return to your own place. 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander with us, while (G)I go where I will? Return and take back your brothers; (H)mercy and [e]truth be with you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely (I)wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.” 22 Therefore David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” So Ittai the Gittite passed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people passed over. The king also passed over (J)the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward (K)the way of the wilderness.
24 Now behold, (L)Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him (M)carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and (N)Abiathar came up until all the people had finished passing from the city. 25 The king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then (O)He will bring me back again and show me both it and (P)His habitation. 26 But if He should say thus, ‘(Q)I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, (R)let Him do to me as seems good [f]to Him.” 27 The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Are you not (S)a seer? Return to the city in peace and your (T)two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I am going to wait (U)at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 Therefore Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.
30 And David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went, and (V)his head was covered and he walked (W)barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they went. 31 Now someone told David, saying, “(X)Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, (Y)make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.”
Be Imitators of God
5 (A)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and (B)walk in love, just as Christ also (C)loved [a]you and (D)gave Himself up for us, an (E)offering and a sacrifice to God [b]as a (F)fragrant aroma.
3 But (G)immorality [c]or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among [d]saints; 4 and there must be no (H)filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which (I)are not fitting, but rather (J)giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that (K)no [e]immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom (L)of Christ and God.
6 (M)Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things (N)the wrath of God comes upon (O)the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be (P)partakers with them; 8 for (Q)you were formerly (R)darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as (S)children of Light 9 (for (T)the fruit of the Light consists in all (U)goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 [f](V)trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 (W)Do not participate in the unfruitful (X)deeds of (Y)darkness, but instead even [g](Z)expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible (AA)when they are [h]exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason [i]it says,
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