David and Bathsheba

David and Bathsheba

2 Samuel 11:1-5, 26-27; 12:1-9

Psalm 51:1-9

FIRST READING 2 Samuel 11:1-5, 26-27; 12:1-9
11In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David
sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the
Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2
It
happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was
walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof
a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. 3David sent someone
to inquire about the woman. It was reported, “This is Bathsheba daughter
of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4So David sent messengers to get
her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying
herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. 5The woman
conceived; and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”
26When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made
lamentation for him. 27When the mourning was over, David sent and
brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son.
But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
12And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him,
“There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
2The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3

but the poor man had
nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up,
and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his
meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like

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a daughter to him. 4Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he
was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer
who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared
that for the guest who had come to him.” 5Then David’s anger was
greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives,
the man who has done this deserves to die; 6

he shall restore the lamb
fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” 7Nathan
said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I
anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul;
8
I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your
bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had
been too little, I would have added as much more. 9Why have you
despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have
struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to
be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.”
Reader: Word of God. Word of Life.
All: Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING Psalm 51:1-9
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgement.
5
Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived me.
6 You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

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wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Reader: Word of God. Word of Life.
All: Thanks be to God.