Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Death of David^(A)

¹⁰ So ^(B)David ^[a]rested with his fathers, and was buried in ^(C)the City of David. ¹¹ The period that David ^(D)reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. ^12 (E)Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was ^(F)firmly established.

³ And Solomon ^(A)loved the Lord, ^(B)walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.

⁴ Now ^(C)the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, ^(D)for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ^5 (E)At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon ^(F)in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

^6 (G)And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he ^(H)walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You ^(I)have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. ⁷ Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a ^(J)little child; I do not know how ^(K)to go out or come in. ⁸ And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You ^(L)have chosen, a great people, ^(M)too numerous to be numbered or counted. ^9 (N)Therefore give to Your servant an ^[a]understanding heart ^(O)to judge Your people, that I may ^(P)discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

¹⁰ The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹ Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have ^(Q)not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, ^12 (R)behold, I have done according to your words; ^(S)see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. ¹³ And I have also ^(T)given you what you have not asked: both ^(U)riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. ¹⁴ So ^(V)if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, ^(W)as your father David walked, then I will ^(X)lengthen^[b] your days.”

Praise to God for His Faithfulness and Justice

Walk in Wisdom

^15 (A)See then that you walk ^[a]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ^16 (B)redeeming the time, ^(C)because the days are evil.

^17 (D)Therefore do not be unwise, but ^(E)understand ^(F)what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And ^(G)do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another ^(H)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making ^(I)melody in your heart to the Lord, ^20 (J)giving thanks always for all things to God the Father ^(K)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

⁵¹ I am the living bread ^(A)which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and ^(B)the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

⁵² The Jews therefore ^(C)quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

⁵³ Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless ^(D)you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ^54 (E)Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For My flesh is ^[a]food indeed, and My blood is ^[b]drink indeed. ⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood ^(F)abides in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. ^58 (G)This is the bread which came down from heaven—not ^(H)as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”