Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Prayer for Mercy

A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; ^Cperhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].

Absalom Plans to Take David’s Kingdom

15 After this, Absalom got a chariot and horses for himself and fifty men to run before him [^Cto signal his power and claim of heir to the throne]. ² Absalom would get up early and stand near the city gate [^Cthe hub of the town for judicial, business, and social interaction]. Anyone who had a ·problem [suit; petition; case] for the king to ·settle [judge] would come here. When someone came, Absalom would call out and say, “What city are you from?”

The person would answer, “·I’m [^LYour servant is] from one of the tribes of Israel.”

³ Then Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are ·right [sound/valid and just], but the king has no ·one [representative; deputy] to listen to you.” ⁴ Absalom would also say, “I wish someone would ·make [appoint] me judge in this land! Then people with ·problems [any suit/complaint/case or cause] could come to me, and I ·could help them get [would give them] justice.”

⁵ People would come near Absalom to ·bow to [prostrate themselves before] him. When they did, Absalom would reach out his hand and take hold of them and kiss them [^Cto show he treated them as his equals]. ⁶ Absalom did that to all the Israelites who came to King David for ·decisions [judgment]. In this way, Absalom stole the hearts of all Israel.

⁷ After four^[a] years Absalom said to King David, “Please let me go to Hebron. I want to carry out my ·promise [vow] that I made to the Lord ⁸ while ·I [^Lyour servant] was living in Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will ·worship [offer devotion/a sacrifice to] him in Hebron.’”

⁹ The king said, “Go in peace.”

So Absalom went to Hebron. ¹⁰ But he sent ·secret messengers [spies; or runners] through all the tribes of Israel. They told the people, “When you hear the trumpets, say this: ‘Absalom is the king ·at [in] Hebron!’”

¹¹ Absalom ·had invited [took] two hundred men to go with him. So they went from Jerusalem with him [^Linnocently], ·but they didn’t know [not knowing] what he was planning. ¹² While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, ·one of the people who advised David [David’s counselor], to come from his hometown of Giloh. So ·Absalom’s plans were working very well [the conspiracy grew stronger]. More and more people began to support him.

¹³ A messenger came to David, saying, “The ·Israelites are giving their loyalty to [^Lhearts of the people/Israelites are with] Absalom.”

Ask God for What You Need^(A)

⁷ “·Ask [Keep asking], and ·God will give [^Lit will be given; ^Cthe passive verb implies God as subject] to you. ·Search [Seek; Keep seeking], and you will find. ·Knock [Keep knocking], and the door will open for you. ⁸ ·Yes, [^LFor; Because] everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who ·searches [seeks] will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.

⁹ “If your children ask for bread, which of you would give them a stone? ¹⁰ Or [^Lwhich of you] if your ·children ask [or son asks] for a fish, would you give them a snake? ¹¹ ·Even though you are bad, you [If you, being evil,] know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!