Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Praise for Salvation.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

David King over All Israel

5 ^(A)Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and ^[a]said, “Behold, we are ^(B)your bone and your flesh. ² Previously, when Saul was king over us, ^(C)you were the one who led Israel ^[b]out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘^(D)You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ^(E)a leader over Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David ^(F)made a covenant with them before the Lord in Hebron; then ^(G)they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴ David was ^(H)thirty years old when he became king, and ^(I)he reigned for forty years. ⁵ At Hebron ^(J)he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

^6 (K)Now the king and his men went to ^(L)Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; and they said to ^[c]David, “You shall not come in here, but even those who are blind and those who limp will turn you away,” ^[d]thinking, “David cannot enter here.” ⁷ Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, ^(M)the city of David. ⁸ And David said on that day, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites is to reach those who limp and those who are blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” For that reason they say, “People who are blind and people who limp shall not come into the house.” ⁹ So David lived in the stronghold, and called it ^(N)the city of David. And David built all around from the ^[e](O)Millo and inward. ^10 (P)David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of armies was with him.

^16 (A)Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying, I am not saying ^[a](B)as the Lord would, but as ^(C)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸ Since ^(D)many boast ^(E)according to the flesh, I will boast also. ¹⁹ For you, ^(F)being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. ²⁰ For you tolerate it if anyone ^(G)enslaves you, if anyone ^(H)devours you, if anyone ^(I)takes advantage of you, if anyone ^(J)exalts himself, if anyone ^(K)hits you in the face. ²¹ To my ^(L)shame I must say that we have been ^(M)weak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else ^(N)is bold—I am ^(O)speaking in foolishness—I too am bold. ²² Are they ^(P)Hebrews? ^(Q)So am I. Are they ^(R)Israelites? ^(S)So am I. Are they ^[b](T)descendants of Abraham? ^(U)So am I. ²³ Are they ^(V)servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in ^(W)far more labors, in ^(X)far more imprisonments, ^[c](Y)beaten times without number, often in danger of ^(Z)death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews ^(AA)thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(AB)beaten with rods, once I was ^(AC)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my ^(AD)countrymen, dangers from the ^(AE)Gentiles, dangers in the ^(AF)city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among ^(AG)false brothers; ²⁷ I have been in ^(AH)labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in ^(AI)hunger and thirst, often ^(AJ)without food, in cold and ^[d](AK)exposure. ²⁸ Apart from such ^[e]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ^(AL)all the churches. ²⁹ Who is ^(AM)weak without my being weak? Who is ^[f]led into sin ^[g]without my intense concern?

³⁰ If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my ^(AN)weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(AO)He who is blessed forever, ^(AP)knows that I am not lying. ³² In ^(AQ)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ^(AR)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, ³³ and I was let down in a basket ^(AS)through a window ^[h]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.