Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
4 Then a champion[a] came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath; he was from Gath. He was close to seven feet tall.[b] 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and was wearing scale body armor. The weight of his bronze body armor was 5,000 shekels.[c] 6 He had bronze shin guards[d] on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung over his shoulders. 7 The shaft[e] of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed 600 shekels.[f] His shield bearer was walking before him.
8 Goliath[g] stood and called to Israel’s troops,[h] “Why do you come out to prepare for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose[i] for yourselves a man so he may come down[j] to me! 9 If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “I defy Israel’s troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight[k] each other!” 11 When Saul and all the Israelites[l] heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and very afraid.
19 They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army[a] in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”
20 So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it.[b] After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp[c] as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another. 22 After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer,[d] he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing. 23 As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did,[e] and David heard it.
32 David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged.[a] Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” 33 But Saul replied to David, “You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him. You’re just a boy! He has been a warrior from his youth.”
34 David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock, 35 I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it. 36 Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them,[b] for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 David went on to say, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Then Saul said to David, “Go! The Lord will be with you.”[c]
38 Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him. 39 David strapped on his sword over his fighting attire and tried to walk around, but he was not used to them.[d] David said to Saul, “I can’t walk in these things, for I’m not used to them.” So David removed them. 40 He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch[e] of his shepherd’s bag, took his sling in hand, and approached the Philistine.
41 [f] The Philistine, with his shield bearer walking in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy. 43 The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you are coming after me with sticks?”[g] Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field!”[h]
45 But David replied to the Philistine, “You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel’s armies, whom you have defied! 46 This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you down and cut off your head. This day I will give the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land. Then all the land will realize that Israel has a God, 47 and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves! For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will deliver you into our hand.”
48 The Philistine drew steadily closer to David to attack him, while David quickly ran toward the battle line to attack the Philistine.[i] 49 David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone. He slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank deeply into his forehead, and he fell down with his face to the ground.
57 So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” David replied, “I am the son of your servant Jesse in Bethlehem.”
Saul Comes to Fear David
18 When David[a] had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship.[b] Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life.[c] 2 Saul retained David[d] on that day and did not allow him to return to his father’s house. 3 Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life.[e] 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with the rest of his gear including his sword, his bow, and even his belt.
5 On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants.[f]
10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied[a] within his house. Now David was playing the lyre[b] as usual. There was a spear in Saul’s hand, 11 and Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll nail David to the wall!” But David escaped from him on two different occasions.
12 So Saul feared David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 Saul removed David[c] from his presence and made him a commanding officer.[d] David led the army out to battle and back.[e] 14 Now David achieved success in all he did,[f] for the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he was the one leading them out to battle and back.
9 Consequently[a] the Lord provides safety for the oppressed;[b]
he provides safety in times of trouble.[c]
10 Your loyal followers trust in you,[d]
for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help.[e]
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules[f] in Zion.
Tell the nations what he has done.[g]
12 For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed;[h]
he did not overlook[i] their cry for help[j]
13 when they prayed:[k]
“Have mercy on me,[l] Lord!
See how I am oppressed by those who hate me,[m]
O one who can snatch me away[n] from the gates of death!
14 Then I will[o] tell about all your praiseworthy acts;[p]
in the gates of Daughter Zion[q] I will rejoice because of your deliverance.”[r]
15 The nations fell[s] into the pit they had made;
their feet were caught in the net they had hidden.[t]
16 The Lord revealed himself;
he accomplished justice.
The wicked were ensnared by their own actions.[u] (Higgaion.[v] Selah)
17 The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol;[w]
this is the destiny of[x] all the nations that ignore[y] God,
18 for the needy are not permanently ignored,[z]
the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed.[aa]
19 Rise up, Lord![ab]
Don’t let men be defiant.[ac]
May the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Terrify them, Lord.[ad]
Let the nations know they are mere mortals.[ae] (Selah)
Psalm 133[a]
A song of ascents;[b] by David.
133 Look! How good and how pleasant it is
when brothers truly live in unity.[c]
2 It is like fine oil poured on the head,
which flows down the beard[d]—
Aaron’s beard,
and then flows down his garments.[e]
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,[f]
which flows down upon the hills of Zion.[g]
Indeed,[h] that is where the Lord has decreed
a blessing will be available—eternal life.[i]
God’s Suffering Servants
6 Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.[a] 2 For he says, “I heard you at the acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”[b] Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation! 3 We do not give anyone[c] an occasion for taking an offense in anything,[d] so that no fault may be found with our ministry. 4 But as God’s servants,[e] we have commended ourselves in every way,[f] with great endurance, in persecutions,[g] in difficulties, in distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots,[h] in troubles,[i] in sleepless nights, in hunger, 6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit,[j] by genuine[k] love, 7 by truthful[l] teaching,[m] by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left,[n] 8 through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors,[o] and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet—see!—we continue to live; as those who are scourged[p] and yet not executed; 10 as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you,[q] Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide to you. 12 Our affection for you is not restricted,[r] but you are restricted in your affections for us. 13 Now as a fair exchange—I speak as to my[s] children—open wide your hearts to us[t] also.
Stilling of a Storm
35 On that day, when evening came, Jesus[a] said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.”[b] 36 So[c] after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat,[d] and other boats were with him. 37 Now[e] a great windstorm[f] developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. 38 But[g] he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” 39 So[h] he got up and rebuked[i] the wind, and said to the sea,[j] “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then[k] the wind stopped, and it was dead calm. 40 And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?” 41 They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this?[l] Even the wind and sea obey him!”[m]
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.