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.

David Is Grief-stricken

¹⁹ Then ^(A)Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and bring the king news ^(B)that the Lord has ^[a]freed him from the hand of his enemies.” ²⁰ But Joab said to him, “You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day; however, you shall carry no news today because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹ Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. ²² Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why would you run, my son, since ^(C)you will have no reward for going?” ²³ “But whatever happens,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed up the Cushite.

²⁴ Now ^(D)David was sitting between the two gates; and ^(E)the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself. ²⁵ The watchman called and told the king. And the king said, “If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.” And he came nearer and nearer. ²⁶ Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, another man running by himself.” And the king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” ²⁷ The watchman said, “I ^[b]think the running of the first one ^(F)is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “^(G)This is a good man and comes with good news.”

²⁸ Ahimaaz called and said to the king, “^[c]All is well.” And ^(H)he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, “^(I)Blessed is the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.” ²⁹ The king said, “^(J)Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but ^(K)I did not know what it was.” ³⁰ Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

³¹ Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, “Let my lord the king receive good news, for ^(L)the Lord has ^[d]freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.” ³² Then the king said to the Cushite, “^(M)Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “^(N)Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man!”

^33 [e]The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, “^(O)O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! ^(P)Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

^14 (A)Therefore, ^(B)beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be ^(C)found by Him in peace, ^(D)spotless and blameless, ¹⁵ and regard the ^(E)patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also ^(F)our beloved brother Paul, ^(G)according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his letters, speaking in them of ^(H)these things, ^(I)in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and ^(J)unstable distort, as they do also ^(K)the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. ¹⁷ You therefore, ^(L)beloved, knowing this beforehand, ^(M)be on your guard so that you are not carried away by ^(N)the error of ^(O)unprincipled men and ^(P)fall from your own steadfastness, ¹⁸ but grow in the grace and ^(Q)knowledge of our ^(R)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ^(S)To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.