Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A song to sing as we climb.
David wrote this song.
133 It is good for a family of God's people to live together in peace.
Yes! It brings great pleasure!
2 It brings pleasure like valuable olive oil
that is poured on your head,
and it goes down onto your beard.
They poured it onto Aaron's head and his beard,
and it went down onto his clothes.[a]
3 It brings pleasure like the dew on Hermon.[b]
It makes the mountains of Zion become wet.[c]
That is the place where the Lord has promised to bless his people.
He blesses them with life for ever.
4 David said, ‘Tell me what happened in the battle.’
The man replied, ‘The Israelites ran away and the enemy killed many of them. Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.’
5 When the young man told this to David, David asked him, ‘How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?’
6 The young man said, ‘I was on Gilboa mountain. I saw Saul there. He had to use his spear like a stick to help him to stand. The enemy army with its horses and chariots were getting very near to him. 7 Saul turned round and he saw me. He shouted to me and I said, “Here I am, sir.”
8 He asked me, “Who are you?”
I said to him, “I am an Amalekite.”
9 He said to me, “Stand over me and kill me. I have a lot of pain and I am almost dead.”
10 I knew that he would soon fall down. He was too weak to live. So I stood over him and I killed him. Then I took the crown from his head and the ring that was on his arm. I have brought them here to you, my lord.’
11 Then David tore his clothes because he was very upset. The men who were with him did the same thing. 12 They cried and they wept until the evening. They did not eat any food. They were very upset about Saul and Jonathan, and all the Lord's people.[a] They were sad because so many Israelites had died in the battle.
13 David asked the young man who had brought the report to him, ‘Where are you from?’
The man replied, ‘I am an Amalekite, the son of a foreign man who lives in Israel.’
14 David said to him, ‘The Lord had chosen Saul to be Israel's king. You should have been very afraid to kill him!’
15 Then David said to one of his own young men, ‘Go and knock him down!’ So the man knocked him down so that he died. 16 David had said to the Amalekite, ‘You deserve to die because of what you have said. Your own words show that you did a bad thing. You yourself said, “I have killed the Lord's chosen king.” ’
David's song to remember Saul and Jonathan
17 David sang this song to remember the death of Saul and his son Jonathan. 18 He said that the people in Judah should learn this song. Its name is ‘The Bow’. It is written down in the Book of Jashar.[b]
19 ‘The greatest men of Israel now lie on the mountains. They are dead!
Those brave men have fallen to the ground!
20 Do not tell the people in Gath about it.
Do not tell the news in the streets of Ashkelon.
If you do, the daughters of the Philistines will sing with joy.
Yes, those foreign people who do not worship God will be happy.
21 You mountains of Gilboa, I hope that no rain or dew will come on you now.
I pray that no crops will grow in your fields to make grain offerings.
In those fields, the shields of brave soldiers became useless.
No longer will anyone clean Saul's shield with oil.[c]
22 When Jonathan shot arrows from his bow,
his enemies fell to the ground, dead.
He would never turn away from them.
Saul's sword also cut down his enemies.
He always finished the job.
23 People loved Saul and Jonathan as great people while they lived.
They were still together when they died.
They moved faster than eagles
They were stronger than lions.
24 You women of Israel, weep for Saul.
He gave you beautiful clothes to wear.
He gave you gold and jewels to fix on your clothes.
25 Brave soldiers have died as they fought a great battle!
Jonathan's dead body lies on Gilboa's hills.
26 My brother, Jonathan! I am very sad about your death.
You were my good friend.
Your love for me was very special.
It was better than the love of women.
27 The brave men have fallen in the battle!
Their weapons are now useless.’
27 During this time, some prophets travelled from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of these men was called Agabus. The Holy Spirit gave him a message from God. He stood up and he said to the people there, ‘Soon people will be very hungry all over the world because there will be no food.’ (That happened when Claudius ruled the Roman world.)[a]
29 The believers in Antioch wanted to help the other believers who lived in Judea. Each of them decided how much of their own money they could give. 30 Then they gave the money to Barnabas and Saul. Barnabas and Saul took this gift to the leaders of the believers in Jerusalem.
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