Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 18[a]
For the music director, by the Lord’s servant David, who sang[b] to the Lord the words of this song when[c] the Lord rescued him from the power[d] of all his enemies, including Saul.[e]
18 He said:[f]
“I love[g] you, Lord, my source of strength![h]
2 The Lord is my high ridge,[i] my stronghold,[j] my deliverer.
My God is my rocky summit where[k] I take shelter,[l]
my shield, the horn that saves me,[m] and my refuge.[n]
3 I called[o] to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,[p]
and I was delivered from my enemies.
4 The waves[q] of death engulfed me,
the currents[r] of chaos[s] overwhelmed me.[t]
5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me,[u]
the snares of death trapped me.[v]
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried out to my God.[w]
From his heavenly temple[x] he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help.[y]
43 You rescue me from a hostile army.[a]
You make me[b] a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.[c]
44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me.[d]
Foreigners are powerless[e] before me.
45 Foreigners lose their courage;[f]
they shake with fear[g] as they leave[h] their strongholds.[i]
46 The Lord is alive![j]
My Protector[k] is praiseworthy.[l]
The God who delivers me[m] is exalted as king.[n]
47 The one true God[o] completely vindicates me;[p]
he makes nations submit to me.[q]
48 He delivers me[r] from my enemies.
You snatch me away[s] from those who attack me;[t]
you rescue me from violent men.
49 So I will give you thanks before the nations,[u] O Lord.
I will sing praises to you.[v]
50 He[w] gives his king magnificent victories;[x]
he is faithful[y] to his chosen ruler,[z]
to David and his descendants[aa] forever.”[ab]
Saul’s Death
10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel. The Israelites fled before the Philistines and many of them fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines stayed right on the heels of[a] Saul and his sons. They[b] struck down Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. 3 The battle was thick[c] around Saul; the archers spotted him and wounded him.[d] 4 Saul told his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and stab me with it. Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come and torture me.”[e] But his armor-bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons died; his whole household[f] died together. 7 When all the Israelites who were in the valley saw that the army[g] had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. The Philistines came and occupied them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip loot from the corpses, they discovered Saul and his sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped his corpse, and then carried off his head and his armor. They sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines proclaiming the news to their idols and their people. 10 They placed his armor in the temple of their gods[h] and hung his head in the temple of Dagon. 11 When all the residents of Jabesh Gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the warriors went and recovered the bodies of Saul and his sons[i] and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their remains[j] under the oak tree in Jabesh and fasted for seven days.
13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and did not obey the Lord’s instructions; he even tried to conjure up underworld spirits.[k] 14 He did not seek the Lord’s guidance, so the Lord[l] killed him and transferred the kingdom to David son of Jesse.
The Disciples’ Failure to Heal
14 When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and experts in the law[a] arguing with them. 15 When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran[b] at once and greeted him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 A member of the crowd said to him, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that makes him mute. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but[c] they were not able to do so.”[d] 19 He answered them,[e] “You[f] unbelieving[g] generation! How much longer[h] must I be with you? How much longer must I endure[i] you?[j] Bring him to me.” 20 So they brought the boy[k] to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He[l] fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus[m] asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Then Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able?’[n] All things are possible for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
25 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked[o] the unclean spirit,[p] saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boy[q] looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 Then,[r] after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”[s]
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