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Psalm 23

1  The Lord is my shepherd; ♦︎
   therefore can I lack nothing.
2  He makes me lie down in green pastures ♦︎
   and leads me beside still waters.
3  He shall refresh my soul ♦︎
   and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4  Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
      I will fear no evil; ♦︎
   for you are with me;
      your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5  You spread a table before me
      in the presence of those who trouble me; ♦︎
   you have anointed my head with oil
      and my cup shall be full.
6  Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me
      all the days of my life, ♦︎
   and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 24

1  The earth is the Lord’s and all that fills it, ♦︎
   the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.
2  For he has founded it upon the seas ♦︎
   and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
3  ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, ♦︎
   or who can rise up in his holy place?’
4  ‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, ♦︎
   who have not lifted up their soul to an idol,
      nor sworn an oath to a lie;
5  ‘They shall receive a blessing from the Lord, ♦︎
   a just reward from the God of their salvation.’
6  Such is the company of those who seek him, ♦︎
   of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
7  Lift up your heads, O gates;
      be lifted up, you everlasting doors; ♦︎
   and the King of glory shall come in.
8  ‘Who is the King of glory?’ ♦︎
   ‘The Lord, strong and mighty,
      the Lord who is mighty in battle.’
9  Lift up your heads, O gates;
      be lifted up, you everlasting doors; ♦︎
   and the King of glory shall come in.
10  ‘Who is this King of glory?’ ♦︎
   ‘The Lord of hosts,
      he is the King of glory.’

19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, ‘Why are you also coming with us? Go back, and stay with the king; for you are a foreigner, and also an exile from your home. ²⁰You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kinsfolk with you; and may the Lord show^* steadfast love and faithfulness to you.’ ²¹But Ittai answered the king, ‘As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.’ ²²David said to Ittai, ‘Go then, march on.’ So Ittai the Gittite marched on, with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. ²³The whole country wept aloud as all the people passed by; the king crossed the Wadi Kidron, and all the people moved on towards the wilderness.

24 Abiathar came up, and Zadok also, with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, until the people had all passed out of the city. ²⁵Then the king said to Zadok, ‘Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and the place where it remains. ²⁶But if he says, “I take no pleasure in you”, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.’ ²⁷The king also said to the priest Zadok, ‘Look,^* go back to the city in peace, you and Abiathar,^* with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar. ²⁸See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.’ ²⁹So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot; and all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went. ³¹David was told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, ‘O Lord, I pray you, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.’

Hushai Becomes David’s Spy

32 When David came to the summit, where God was worshipped, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth on his head. ³³David said to him, ‘If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. ³⁴But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, “I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant”, then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. ³⁵The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. ³⁶Their two sons are with them there, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan; and by them you shall report to me everything you hear.’ ³⁷So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ ⁴⁸Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ ⁴⁹Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ ⁵⁰So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher,^* let me see again.’ ⁵²Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.