Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 111

Praise for the Lord’s Works

David’s Last Days

1 Now King David was old and advanced in age.^(A) Although they covered him with bedclothes, he could not get warm.^{(B) 2} So his servants said to him, “Let us^[a] search for a young virgin for my lord the king.^(C) She is to attend the king and be his caregiver. She is to lie by your side so that my lord the king will get warm.” ³ They searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel; they found Abishag^(D) the Shunammite^[b](E) and brought her to the king. ⁴ The girl was of unsurpassed beauty,^(F) and she became the king’s caregiver. She attended to him, but he was not intimate with^[c] her.

Adonijah’s Bid for Power

⁵ Adonijah son of Haggith^(G) kept exalting himself, saying, “I will be king!” He prepared chariots, cavalry, and fifty men to run ahead of him.^{[d](H) 6} But his father had never once infuriated^(I) him by asking, “Why did you do that?” ^(J) In addition, he was quite handsome^(K) and was born after Absalom.^{(L) 7} He conspired^[e] with Joab son of Zeruiah^(M) and with the priest Abiathar.^(N) They supported^(O) Adonijah, ⁸ but the priest Zadok,^(P) Benaiah son of Jehoiada,^(Q) the prophet Nathan,^(R) Shimei,^(S) Rei, and David’s royal guard^[f](T) did not side with Adonijah.

⁹ Adonijah sacrificed sheep, goats, cattle, and fattened cattle near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel.^(U) He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king,^{(V) 10} but he did not invite the prophet Nathan, Benaiah, the royal guard, or his brother Solomon.^(W)

Nathan’s and Bathsheba’s Appeals

¹¹ Then Nathan^(X) said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother,^(Y) “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king^(Z) and our lord David does not know it?^{(AA) 12} Now please come and let me advise you.^(AB) Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.^{(AC) 13} Go, approach King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your servant: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne?^(AD) So why has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴ At that moment, while you are still there speaking with the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm your words.”^(AE)

¹⁵ So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was attending to him.^{(AF) 16} Bathsheba knelt low and paid homage to the king, and he asked, “What do you want?”

¹⁷ She replied, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne.’ ¹⁸ Now look, Adonijah has become king. And,^[g] my lord the king, you didn’t know it. ¹⁹ He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the king’s sons, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon. ²⁰ Now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. ²¹ Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his ancestors,^(AG) I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.”^(AH)

²² At that moment, while she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan arrived,^{(AI) 23} and it was announced to the king, “The prophet Nathan is here.” He came into the king’s presence and paid homage to him with his face to the ground.

²⁴ “My lord the king,” Nathan said, “did you say, ‘Adonijah is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne’? ²⁵ For today he went down and lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and the priest Abiathar. And look! They’re eating and drinking in his presence, and they’re saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ²⁶ But he did not invite me—me, your servant—or the priest Zadok or Benaiah son of Jehoiada or your servant Solomon. ²⁷ I’m certain my lord the king would not have let this happen without letting your servant^[h] know who will sit on my lord the king’s throne after him.”

Solomon Confirmed King

²⁸ King David responded by saying, “Call in Bathsheba for me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him. ²⁹ The king swore an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every difficulty,^{(AJ) 30} just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne in my place,^(AK) that is exactly what I will do this very day.”^(AL)

Stephen Accused of Blasphemy

⁸ Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

¹¹ Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”^{(A) 12} They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, seized him, and took him to the Sanhedrin. ¹³ They also presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law.^{(B) 14} For we heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”^{(C) 15} And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.