Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
4 Then a champion came forward from the army encampment of the Philistines, named (A)Goliath, from (B)Gath. His height was [a]six cubits and a [b]span. 5 And he had a bronze helmet on his head, and he wore scale-armor [c]which weighed [d]five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He also had bronze [e]greaves on his legs and a (C)bronze [f]saber slung between his shoulders. 7 (D)The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed [g]six hundred shekels of iron; and (E)his shield-carrier walked in front of him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle formation? Am I not the Philistine, and you the (F)servants of Saul? Choose a man as your representative and have him come down to me. 9 (G)If he is able to fight me and [h]kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and [i]kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “(H)I have defied the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man, so that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very fearful.
19 For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.”
David Accepts the Challenge
20 So David got up early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper, and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the (A)entrenchment encircling the camp while the army was going out in battle formation, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle formation, army against army. 22 Then David left the (B)baggage in the [a]care of the baggage keeper and ran to the battle line. And he entered and [b]greeted his brothers. 23 As he was speaking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke (C)these same words; and David heard him.
32 And David said to Saul, “(A)May no one’s heart fail on account of him; (B)your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” 33 But Saul said to David, “(C)You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him; for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior since his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a sheep from the flock, 35 I went out after it and [a]attacked it, and (D)rescued the sheep from its mouth; and when it rose up against me, I grabbed it by its mane and struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has [b]killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “(E)The Lord who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “(F)Go, and may the Lord be with you.” 38 Then Saul clothed David with his military attire and put a bronze helmet on his head, and outfitted him with armor. 39 And David strapped on his sword over his military attire and struggled at walking, for he had not trained with the armor. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, because I have not trained with them.” And David took them [c]off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd’s pouch, and (G)his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.
41 Then the Philistine came and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, (H)he was contemptuous of him; for he was only a youth, and [d](I)reddish, with a handsome appearance. 43 So the Philistine said to David, “(J)Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And (K)the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh (L)to the birds of the sky and the [e]wild animals.” 45 But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a [f]saber, (M)but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you and remove your head from you. Then I will give the (N)dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, (O)so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that this entire assembly may know that (P)the Lord does not save by sword or by spear; (Q)for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will hand you over to us!”
48 Then it happened, when the Philistine [g]came closer to meet David, that (R)David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone penetrated his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
57 So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and (A)brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand. 58 Then Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “(B)I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
Jonathan and David
18 Now it came about, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that [a](C)Jonathan committed himself to David, and (D)Jonathan loved him as himself. 2 And Saul took him that day and (E)did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then (F)Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 (G)Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his military gear, including his sword, his bow, and his belt. 5 And David went into battle wherever Saul sent him, and always [b]achieved success; so Saul put him in charge of the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
Saul Turns against David
10 Now it came about on the next day that (A)an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and (B)he raved in the midst of the house while David was playing the harp with his hand, [a](C)as usual; and [b](D)a spear was in Saul’s hand. 11 Then (E)Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will [c]pin David to the wall.” But David [d]escaped from his presence, twice.
12 Now (F)Saul was afraid of David, (G)because the Lord was with him but (H)had left Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from [e]his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and (I)he went out and came in before the people. 14 David was [f]successful in all his ways, for (J)the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw that he was [g]very successful, he was afraid of him. 16 But (K)all Israel and Judah loved David, for he would go out to battle and [h]return [i]before them.
9 [a]The Lord will also be a (A)stronghold for the oppressed,
A stronghold in times of trouble;
10 And [b]those who (B)know Your name will put their trust in You,
For You, Lord, have not (C)abandoned those who seek You.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who (D)dwells in Zion;
(E)Declare His deeds among the peoples.
12 For (F)He who [c]requires blood remembers them;
He does not forget (G)the cry of the needy.
13 Be gracious to me, Lord;
See my oppression from those (H)who hate me,
You who (I)lift me up from the gates of death,
14 So that I may tell of (J)all Your praises,
That in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may (K)rejoice in Your [d]salvation.
15 The nations have sunk down (L)into the pit which they have made;
In the (M)net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16 The Lord has (N)made Himself known;
He has (O)executed judgment.
A wicked one is ensnared in the work of his own hands. [e]Higgaion Selah
17 The wicked will [f](P)return to [g]Sheol,
All the nations who (Q)forget God.
18 For the (R)needy will not always be forgotten,
Nor the (S)hope of the afflicted perish forever.
19 (T)Arise, Lord, do not let mankind prevail;
Let the nations be (U)judged before You.
20 Put them (V)in fear, Lord;
Let the nations know that they are (W)merely human. Selah
The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For (A)brothers to live together in unity!
2 It is like the precious (B)oil on the head,
Running down upon the beard,
As on Aaron’s beard,
The oil which ran down upon the (C)edge of his robes.
3 It is like the (D)dew of (E)Hermon
Coming down upon the (F)mountains of Zion;
For the Lord (G)commanded the blessing there—(H)life forever.
Their Ministry Commended
6 And (A)working together with Him, (B)we also urge you not to receive (C)the grace of God in vain— 2 for He says,
“(D)At a favorable time I listened to you,
And on a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is “a favorable time,” behold, now is “a day of salvation”— 3 (E)giving no reason for taking offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 4 but in everything (F)commending ourselves as [a](G)servants of God, (H)in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in difficulties, 5 in (I)beatings, in imprisonments, in [b](J)mob attacks, in labors, in sleeplessness, in (K)hunger, 6 in purity, in (L)knowledge, in (M)patience, in kindness, in the (N)Holy Spirit, in (O)genuine love, 7 in (P)the word of truth, and in (Q)the power of God; by (R)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 by glory and (S)dishonor, by (T)evil report and good report; regarded as (U)deceivers and yet (V)true; 9 as unknown and yet well known, as (W)dying and yet behold, (X)we are alive; as [c]punished and yet not put to death, 10 as (Y)sorrowful yet always (Z)rejoicing, as (AA)poor yet making many rich, as (AB)having nothing and yet possessing (AC)all things.
11 (AD)Our mouth [d]has spoken freely to you, you Corinthians, our (AE)heart is opened wide. 12 You are not restrained [e]by us, but (AF)you are restrained in your own [f]affections. 13 Now in the same way in (AG)exchange—I am speaking as to (AH)children—open wide your hearts to us, you as well.
Jesus Stills the Sea
35 (A)On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” 36 After dismissing the crowd, they *took Him along with them (B)in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And a fierce gale of wind *developed, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling with water. 38 And yet Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and (C)rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and [a]it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you [b]afraid? (D)Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
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