Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 150^[a]

Harmonious Praise of God

¹ Alleluia.

¹⁹ They and Saul and all of the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah fighting against the Philistines. ²⁰ David rose early the next morning, left the sheep with someone to tend them, took the things and left as Jesse had instructed him. He came to the outskirts of the camp just as the army was going forth into battle, shouting their war cries. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines were lined up for battle, one army facing the other. ²² David left his things in the care of the keeper of supplies. He ran to the battle line and came to his brothers whom he greeted.

²³ As he was talking with them, Goliath of Gath, the champion of the Philistines, came forth from the Philistine lines, and he shouted the same taunt, and David heard it. ²⁴ When all the Israelites saw the man, they ran away from him in great fear.

²⁵ Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? Surely he comes out to defy Israel. The king will give a great reward to the man who kills him. He will even give him his daughter in marriage, and he will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel.”

²⁶ David spoke to the men who were standing by him saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”^{[a] 27} The people answered him saying something like, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

²⁸ When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking to the men, Eliab became very angry at David. He said, “Why have you come down here? With whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know about your pride and the wickedness of your heart, for you only came down here to see the battle.” ²⁹ David answered, “What have I done now? Was it not just a question?”

³⁰ Then he turned away from him and spoke to another man, asking the same thing. The people answered him the same way they had before. ³¹ When the words that David had spoken were heard, they were repeated to Saul who summoned him.

³² David Accepts the Challenge. David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of him. Your servant will go out and fight with this Philistine.”

¹⁷ Conclusion of the Trial.^[a] Then the high priest and his colleagues from the party of the Sadducees rose up, filled with jealousy, ¹⁸ and they arrested the apostles and placed them in the public jail. ¹⁹ But during the night the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, led them out, and said, ²⁰ “Go, stand in the temple, and tell the people everything about this new life.” ²¹ Accordingly, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught the people.

When the high priest and his colleagues arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full assembly of the elders of Israel, and sent to the jail to have them brought in. ²² But when the temple police went to the prison, they did not find them there. So they returned and announced, ²³ “We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened the doors we found no one inside.”

²⁴ Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were at a loss to understand what this would come to. ²⁵ Then someone arrived to report, “The men whom you imprisoned are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” ²⁶ The captain thereupon went with the temple officers and brought them in, although without force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.