The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.

Like the choice fat of the sacred offerings,/ so was David in Israel./ He made sport of lions as though they were kids,/ and of bears, like lambs of the flock./ As a youth he slew the giant/ and wiped out the people’s disgrace,/ When his hand let fly the slingstone/ that crushed the pride of Goliath./ Since he called upon the Most High God,/ who gave strength to his right arm/ To defeat the skilled warrior/ and raise up the might of his people,/ Therefore the women sang his praises,/ and ascribed to him tens of thousands/ and praised him when they blessed the Lord./ When he assumed the royal crown, he battled/ and subdued the enemy on every side./ He destroyed the hostile Philistines/ and shattered their power till our own day./ With his every deed he offered thanks/ to God Most High, in words of praise./ With his whole being he loved his Maker/ and daily had his praises sung;/ He set singers before the altar and by their voices/ he made sweet melodies,/ He added beauty to the feasts/ and solemnized the seasons of each year/ So that when the Holy Name was praised,/ before daybreak the sanctuary would resound./ The Lord forgave him his sins/ and exalted his strength forever;/ He conferred on him the rights of royalty/ and established his throne in Israel.

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded.

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

When the time of David’s death drew near, he gave these instructions to his son Solomon: “I am going the way of all flesh.

King David said to Joab and the leaders of the army who were with him, “Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and register the people, that I may know their number.” Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered: in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service; in Judah, five hundred thousand.

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.

Absalom unexpectedly came up against David’s servants.

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.

Thus says the Lord God:/ Lo, I am sending my messenger/ to prepare the way before me;/ and ­suddenly there will come to the temple/ the Lord whom you seek,/ and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire./ Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts./ But who will endure the day of his coming?/ And who can stand when he appears?/ For he is like the refiner’s fire,/ or like the fuller’s lye./ He will sit refining and ­purifying silver,/ and he will purify the sons of Levi,/ Refining them like gold or like silver/ that they may offer due sacrifice to the Lord./ Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem/ will please the Lord,/ as in the days of old, as in years gone by.