Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors.
For the music director; set to [a]Al-tashheth. A [b]Mikhtam of David, [c]when he fled from Saul in the cave.
57 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
For my soul (A)takes refuge in You;
And in the (B)shadow of Your wings I will take refuge
Until destruction (C)passes by.
2 I will cry to God Most High,
To God who (D)accomplishes all things for me.
3 He will (E)send from heaven and save me;
He rebukes the one who [d](F)tramples upon me. Selah
God will send His [e](G)favor and His truth.
4 My soul is among (H)lions;
I must lie among those who devour,
Among sons of mankind whose (I)teeth are spears and arrows,
And their (J)tongue is a sharp sword.
5 (K)Be exalted above the heavens, God;
May Your glory be above all the earth.
6 They have prepared a (L)net for my steps;
My soul is (M)bowed down;
They (N)dug a pit before me;
They themselves have (O)fallen into the midst of it. Selah
7 (P)My (Q)heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
8 Awake, (R)my glory!
Awake, (S)harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
9 (T)I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the [f]nations.
10 For Your (U)goodness is great to the heavens
And Your [g]truth to the clouds.
11 (V)Be exalted above the heavens, God;
May Your glory be above all the earth.
David Flees Jerusalem
13 Then a messenger came to David, saying, “(A)The hearts of the people of Israel are [a]with Absalom.” 14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “(B)Arise and let’s flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go quickly, or he will hurry and overtake us, and bring disaster on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 Then the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants will do whatever my lord the king chooses.” 16 So the king left, and all his household [b]with him; but (C)the king left ten concubines behind to take care of the house. 17 The king left, and all the people [c]with him, and they stopped at the last house. 18 Now all of his servants passed by beside him, and (D)all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, (E)six hundred men who had come [d]with him from Gath, passed by before the king.
19 Then the king said to (F)Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you go with us too? Return and stay with [e]your king, since you are a foreigner and an exile as well; return to your own place. 20 You came only yesterday, so should I make you wander with us today, while (G)I go wherever I go? Return and take your brothers back; (H)mercy and [f]truth be with you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, (I)wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there assuredly shall your servant be!” 22 Then David said to Ittai, “Go and cross over the brook Kidron.” So Ittai the Gittite crossed over with all his men and all the [g]little ones who were with him. 23 While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people were crossing over. The king was also crossing over (J)the brook Kidron, and all the people were crossing over toward (K)the way of the wilderness.
24 Now behold, (L)Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, (M)carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and (N)Abiathar came up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city. 25 And the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then (O)He will bring me back and show me both it and (P)His habitation. 26 But if He says this: ‘(Q)I have no delight in you,’ then here I am, (R)let Him do to me as seems good [h]to Him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not (S)a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your (T)two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I am going to wait (U)at the river crossing places of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.
30 And David was going up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, and (V)his head was covered, and he was walking (W)barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his own head, and they were going up, weeping as they went. 31 Now someone informed David, saying, “(X)Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “Lord, please (Y)make the advice of Ahithophel foolish.”
Be Imitators of God
5 (A)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and (B)walk in love, just as Christ also (C)loved [a]you and (D)gave Himself up for us, an (E)offering and a sacrifice to God [b]as a (F)fragrant aroma.
3 But (G)sexual immorality [c]or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among [d]saints; 4 and there must be no (H)filthiness [e]or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which (I)are not fitting, but rather (J)giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that (K)no sexually immoral or [f]impure or greedy person, which [g]amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom (L)of Christ and God.
6 (M)See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things (N)the wrath of God comes upon (O)the [h]sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become (P)partners with them; 8 for (Q)you were once (R)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as (S)children of light 9 (for (T)the fruit of the light consists in all (U)goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 [i](V)as you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 (W)Do not participate in the useless (X)deeds of (Y)darkness, but instead even (Z)expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible (AA)when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason [j]it says,
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