Category: DAB Readings

¹⁴ Meanwhile, Sheba traveled through all the tribes of Israel and eventually came to the town of Abel-beth-maacah. All the members of his own clan, the Bicrites,^[a] assembled for battle and followed him into the town. ¹⁵ When Joab’s forces arrived, they attacked Abel-beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the town’s fortifications and began battering down the wall. ¹⁶ But a wise woman in the town called out to Joab, “Listen to me, Joab. Come over here so I can talk to you.” ¹⁷ As he approached, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?”

“I am,” he replied.

So she said, “Listen carefully to your servant.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

¹⁸ Then she continued, “There used to be a saying, ‘If you want to settle an argument, ask advice at the town of Abel.’ ¹⁹ I am one who is peace loving and faithful in Israel. But you are destroying an important town in Israel.^[b] Why do you want to devour what belongs to the Lord?”

²⁰ And Joab replied, “Believe me, I don’t want to devour or destroy your town! ²¹ That’s not my purpose. All I want is a man named Sheba son of Bicri from the hill country of Ephraim, who has revolted against King David. If you hand over this one man to me, I will leave the town in peace.”

“All right,” the woman replied, “we will throw his head over the wall to you.” ²² Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the ram’s horn and called his troops back from the attack. They all returned to their homes, and Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.

²³ Now Joab was the commander of the army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king’s bodyguard. ²⁴ Adoniram^[c] was in charge of forced labor. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. ²⁵ Sheva was the court secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. ²⁶ And Ira, a descendant of Jair, was David’s personal priest.

David Avenges the Gibeonites

21 There was a famine during David’s reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the Lord about it. And the Lord said, “The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites.”

² So the king summoned the Gibeonites. They were not part of Israel but were all that was left of the nation of the Amorites. The people of Israel had sworn not to kill them, but Saul, in his zeal for Israel and Judah, had tried to wipe them out. ³ David asked them, “What can I do for you? How can I make amends so that you will bless the Lord’s people again?”

⁴ “Well, money can’t settle this matter between us and the family of Saul,” the Gibeonites replied. “Neither can we demand the life of anyone in Israel.”

“What can I do then?” David asked. “Just tell me and I will do it for you.”

⁵ Then they replied, “It was Saul who planned to destroy us, to keep us from having any place at all in the territory of Israel. ⁶ So let seven of Saul’s sons be handed over to us, and we will execute them before the Lord at Gibeon, on the mountain of the Lord.^[d]”

“All right,” the king said, “I will do it.” ⁷ The king spared Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth,^[e] who was Saul’s grandson, because of the oath David and Jonathan had sworn before the Lord. ⁸ But he gave them Saul’s two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth, whose mother was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. He also gave them the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab,^[f] the wife of Adriel son of Barzillai from Meholah. ⁹ The men of Gibeon executed them on the mountain before the Lord. So all seven of them died together at the beginning of the barley harvest.

¹⁰ Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the mother of two of the men, spread burlap on a rock and stayed there the entire harvest season. She prevented the scavenger birds from tearing at their bodies during the day and stopped wild animals from eating them at night. ¹¹ When David learned what Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done, ¹² he went to the people of Jabesh-gilead and retrieved the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. (When the Philistines had killed Saul and Jonathan on Mount Gilboa, the people of Jabesh-gilead stole their bodies from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them.) ¹³ So David obtained the bones of Saul and Jonathan, as well as the bones of the men the Gibeonites had executed.

¹⁴ Then the king ordered that they bury the bones in the tomb of Kish, Saul’s father, at the town of Zela in the land of Benjamin. After that, God ended the famine in the land.

Battles against Philistine Giants

¹⁵ Once again the Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted. ¹⁶ Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants^[g]; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds,^[h] and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him. ¹⁷ But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men declared, “You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?”

¹⁸ After this, there was another battle against the Philistines at Gob. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, another descendant of the giants.

¹⁹ During another battle at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair^[i] from Bethlehem killed the brother of Goliath of Gath.^[j] The handle of his spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!

²⁰ In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man^[k] with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. ²¹ But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea.^[l]

²² These four Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1 In my first book^[a] I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach ² until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. ³ During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.

⁴ Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. ⁵ John baptized with^[b] water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

The Ascension of Jesus

⁶ So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

⁷ He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. ¹⁰ As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

Matthias Replaces Judas

¹² Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile.^{[c] 13} When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying.

Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James). ¹⁴ They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.

¹⁵ During this time, when about 120 believers^[d] were together in one place, Peter stood up and addressed them. ¹⁶ “Brothers,” he said, “the Scriptures had to be fulfilled concerning Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David. ¹⁷ Judas was one of us and shared in the ministry with us.”

¹⁸ (Judas had bought a field with the money he received for his treachery. Falling headfirst there, his body split open, spilling out all his intestines. ¹⁹ The news of his death spread to all the people of Jerusalem, and they gave the place the Aramaic name Akeldama, which means “Field of Blood.”)

²⁰ Peter continued, “This was written in the book of Psalms, where it says, ‘Let his home become desolate, with no one living in it.’ It also says, ‘Let someone else take his position.’^[e]

²¹ “So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus— ²² from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.”

²³ So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen ²⁵ as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” ²⁶ Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.

Psalm 121

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

¹¹ Then King David sent Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, to say to the elders of Judah, “Why are you the last ones to welcome back the king into his palace? For I have heard that all Israel is ready. ¹² You are my relatives, my own tribe, my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last ones to welcome back the king?” ¹³ And David told them to tell Amasa, “Since you are my own flesh and blood, like Joab, may God strike me and even kill me if I do not appoint you as commander of my army in his place.”

¹⁴ Then Amasa^[a] convinced all the men of Judah, and they responded unanimously. They sent word to the king, “Return to us, and bring back all who are with you.”

David’s Return to Jerusalem

¹⁵ So the king started back to Jerusalem. And when he arrived at the Jordan River, the people of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the river. ¹⁶ Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin, hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David. ¹⁷ A thousand other men from the tribe of Benjamin were with him, including Ziba, the chief servant of the house of Saul, and Ziba’s fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan to meet the king. ¹⁸ They crossed the shallows of the Jordan to bring the king’s household across the river, helping him in every way they could.

David’s Mercy to Shimei

As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him. ¹⁹ “My lord the king, please forgive me,” he pleaded. “Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. ²⁰ I know how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all Israel^[b] to greet my lord the king.”

²¹ Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shimei should die, for he cursed the Lord’s anointed king!”

²² “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah!” David exclaimed. “Why have you become my adversary^[c] today? This is not a day for execution, for today I am once again the king of Israel!” ²³ Then, turning to Shimei, David vowed, “Your life will be spared.”

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

²⁴ Now Mephibosheth,^[d] Saul’s grandson, came down from Jerusalem to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes since the day the king left Jerusalem. ²⁵ “Why didn’t you come with me, Mephibosheth?” the king asked him.

²⁶ Mephibosheth replied, “My lord the king, my servant Ziba deceived me. I told him, ‘Saddle my donkey^[e] so I can go with the king.’ For as you know I am crippled. ²⁷ Ziba has slandered me by saying that I refused to come. But I know that my lord the king is like an angel of God, so do what you think is best. ²⁸ All my relatives and I could expect only death from you, my lord, but instead you have honored me by allowing me to eat at your own table! What more can I ask?”

²⁹ “You’ve said enough,” David replied. “I’ve decided that you and Ziba will divide your land equally between you.”

³⁰ “Give him all of it,” Mephibosheth said. “I am content just to have you safely back again, my lord the king!”

David’s Kindness to Barzillai

³¹ Barzillai of Gilead had come down from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan. ³² He was very old—eighty years of age—and very wealthy. He was the one who had provided food for the king during his stay in Mahanaim. ³³ “Come across with me and live in Jerusalem,” the king said to Barzillai. “I will take care of you there.”

³⁴ “No,” he replied, “I am far too old to go with the king to Jerusalem. ³⁵ I am eighty years old today, and I can no longer enjoy anything. Food and wine are no longer tasty, and I cannot hear the singers as they sing. I would only be a burden to my lord the king. ³⁶ Just to go across the Jordan River with the king is all the honor I need! ³⁷ Then let me return again to die in my own town, where my father and mother are buried. But here is your servant, my son Kimham. Let him go with my lord the king and receive whatever you want to give him.”

³⁸ “Good,” the king agreed. “Kimham will go with me, and I will help him in any way you would like. And I will do for you anything you want.” ³⁹ So all the people crossed the Jordan with the king. After David had blessed Barzillai and kissed him, Barzillai returned to his own home.

⁴⁰ The king then crossed over to Gilgal, taking Kimham with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king on his way.

An Argument over the King

⁴¹ But all the men of Israel complained to the king, “The men of Judah stole the king and didn’t give us the honor of helping take you, your household, and all your men across the Jordan.”

⁴² The men of Judah replied, “The king is one of our own kinsmen. Why should this make you angry? We haven’t eaten any of the king’s food or received any special favors!”

⁴³ “But there are ten tribes in Israel,” the others replied. “So we have ten times as much right to the king as you do. What right do you have to treat us with such contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again?” The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah spoke even more harshly than the men of Israel.

The Revolt of Sheba

20 There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant:

² So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.

³ When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them. So each of them lived like a widow until she died.

⁴ Then the king told Amasa, “Mobilize the army of Judah within three days, and report back at that time.” ⁵ So Amasa went out to notify Judah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given.

⁶ Then David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. Quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can’t reach him.”

⁷ So Abishai and Joab,^[f] together with the king’s bodyguard^[g] and all the mighty warriors, set out from Jerusalem to go after Sheba. ⁸ As they arrived at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was wearing his military tunic with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet Amasa, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.^[h]

⁹ “How are you, my cousin?” Joab said and took him by the beard with his right hand as though to kiss him. ¹⁰ Amasa didn’t notice the dagger in his left hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Joab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died. Joab and his brother Abishai left him lying there and continued after Sheba.

¹¹ One of Joab’s young men shouted to Amasa’s troops, “If you are for Joab and David, come and follow Joab.” ¹² But Amasa lay in his blood in the middle of the road, and Joab’s man saw that everyone was stopping to stare at him. So he pulled him off the road into a field and threw a cloak over him. ¹³ With Amasa’s body out of the way, everyone went on with Joab to capture Sheba son of Bicri.

Epilogue: Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

21 Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee.^[a] This is how it happened. ² Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin),^[b] Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.

³ Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”

“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

⁴ At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. ⁵ He called out, “Fellows,^[c] have you caught any fish?”

“No,” they replied.

⁶ Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

⁷ Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. ⁸ The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards^[d] from shore. ⁹ When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.

¹⁰ “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.

¹² “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. ¹⁴ This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.

¹⁵ After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?^[e]”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

¹⁶ Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

¹⁷ A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

¹⁸ “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others^[f] will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”

²⁰ Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” ²¹ Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”

²² Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” ²³ So the rumor spread among the community of believers^[g] that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate.

²⁵ Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.

Psalm 120

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

Absalom’s Defeat and Death

18 David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains^[a] to lead them. ² He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, “I am going out with you.”

³ But his men objected strongly. “You must not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and run—and even if half of us die—it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us,^[b] and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.”

⁴ “If you think that’s the best plan, I’ll do it,” the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands.

⁵ And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom.” And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.

⁶ So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim, ⁷ and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives. ⁸ The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.

⁹ During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair^[c] got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. ¹⁰ One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.”

¹¹ “What?” Joab demanded. “You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver^[d] and a hero’s belt!”

¹² “I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver,^[e]” the man replied to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’ ¹³ And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.”

¹⁴ “Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree. ¹⁵ Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him.

¹⁶ Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel. ¹⁷ They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes.

¹⁸ During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry on my name.” He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom’s Monument to this day.

David Mourns Absalom’s Death

¹⁹ Then Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said, “Let me run to the king with the good news that the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”

²⁰ “No,” Joab told him, “it wouldn’t be good news to the king that his son is dead. You can be my messenger another time, but not today.”

²¹ Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia,^[f] “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The man bowed and ran off.

²² But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, “Whatever happens, please let me go, too.”

“Why should you go, my son?” Joab replied. “There will be no reward for your news.”

²³ “Yes, but let me go anyway,” he begged.

Joab finally said, “All right, go ahead.” So Ahimaaz took the less demanding route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim ahead of the Ethiopian.

²⁴ While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the town, the watchman climbed to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked, he saw a lone man running toward them. ²⁵ He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied, “If he is alone, he has news.”

As the messenger came closer, ²⁶ the watchman saw another man running toward them. He shouted down, “Here comes another one!”

The king replied, “He also will have news.”

²⁷ “The first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok,” the watchman said.

“He is a good man and comes with good news,” the king replied.

²⁸ Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “Everything is all right!” He bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise to the Lord your God, who has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against my lord the king.”

²⁹ “What about young Absalom?” the king demanded. “Is he all right?”

Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab told me to come, there was a lot of commotion. But I didn’t know what was happening.”

³⁰ “Wait here,” the king told him. So Ahimaaz stepped aside.

³¹ Then the man from Ethiopia arrived and said, “I have good news for my lord the king. Today the Lord has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you.”

³² “What about young Absalom?” the king demanded. “Is he all right?”

And the Ethiopian replied, “May all of your enemies, my lord the king, both now and in the future, share the fate of that young man!”

^33 [g]The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.”

Joab Rebukes the King

19 ^[h]Word soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom. ² As all the people heard of the king’s deep grief for his son, the joy of that day’s victory was turned into deep sadness. ³ They crept back into the town that day as though they were ashamed and had deserted in battle. ⁴ The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

⁵ Then Joab went to the king’s room and said to him, “We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves. ⁶ You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased. ⁷ Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before.”

⁸ So the king went out and took his seat at the town gate, and as the news spread throughout the town that he was there, everyone went to him.

Meanwhile, the Israelites who had supported Absalom fled to their homes. ⁹ And throughout all the tribes of Israel there was much discussion and argument going on. The people were saying, “The king rescued us from our enemies and saved us from the Philistines, but Absalom chased him out of the country. ¹⁰ Now Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, is dead. Why not ask David to come back and be our king again?”

The Resurrection

20 Early on Sunday morning,^[a] while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. ² She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

³ Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. ⁴ They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. ⁸ Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— ⁹ for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then they went home.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. ¹² She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. ¹³ “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

¹⁴ She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. ¹⁵ “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

¹⁶ “Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

¹⁷ “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

¹⁹ That Sunday evening^[b] the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. ²⁰ As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! ²¹ Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” ²² Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

²⁴ One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin),^[c] was not with the others when Jesus came. ²⁵ They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

²⁶ Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

²⁸ “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Purpose of the Book

³⁰ The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may continue to believe^[d] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

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17 Now Ahithophel urged Absalom, “Let me choose 12,000 men to start out after David tonight. ² I will catch up with him while he is weary and discouraged. He and his troops will panic, and everyone will run away. Then I will kill only the king, ³ and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride returns to her husband. After all, it is only one man’s life that you seek.^[a] Then you will be at peace with all the people.” ⁴ This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

Hushai Counters Ahithophel’s Advice

⁵ But then Absalom said, “Bring in Hushai the Arkite. Let’s see what he thinks about this.” ⁶ When Hushai arrived, Absalom told him what Ahithophel had said. Then he asked, “What is your opinion? Should we follow Ahithophel’s advice? If not, what do you suggest?”

⁷ “Well,” Hushai replied to Absalom, “this time Ahithophel has made a mistake. ⁸ You know your father and his men; they are mighty warriors. Right now they are as enraged as a mother bear who has been robbed of her cubs. And remember that your father is an experienced man of war. He won’t be spending the night among the troops. ⁹ He has probably already hidden in some pit or cave. And when he comes out and attacks and a few of your men fall, there will be panic among your troops, and the word will spread that Absalom’s men are being slaughtered. ¹⁰ Then even the bravest soldiers, though they have the heart of a lion, will be paralyzed with fear. For all Israel knows what a mighty warrior your father is and how courageous his men are.

¹¹ “I recommend that you mobilize the entire army of Israel, bringing them from as far away as Dan in the north and Beersheba in the south. That way you will have an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And I advise that you personally lead the troops. ¹² When we find David, we’ll fall on him like dew that falls on the ground. Then neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. ¹³ And if David were to escape into some town, you will have all Israel there at your command. Then we can take ropes and drag the walls of the town into the nearest valley until every stone is torn down.”

¹⁴ Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “Hushai’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s.” For the Lord had determined to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the better plan, so that he could bring disaster on Absalom!

Hushai Warns David to Escape

¹⁵ Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had said to Absalom and the elders of Israel and what he himself had advised instead. ¹⁶ “Quick!” he told them. “Find David and urge him not to stay at the shallows of the Jordan River^[b] tonight. He must go across at once into the wilderness beyond. Otherwise he will die and his entire army with him.”

¹⁷ Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been staying at En-rogel so as not to be seen entering and leaving the city. Arrangements had been made for a servant girl to bring them the message they were to take to King David. ¹⁸ But a boy spotted them at En-rogel, and he told Absalom about it. So they quickly escaped to Bahurim, where a man hid them down inside a well in his courtyard. ¹⁹ The man’s wife put a cloth over the top of the well and scattered grain on it to dry in the sun; so no one suspected they were there.

²⁰ When Absalom’s men arrived, they asked her, “Have you seen Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

The woman replied, “They were here, but they crossed over the brook.” Absalom’s men looked for them without success and returned to Jerusalem.

²¹ Then the two men crawled out of the well and hurried on to King David. “Quick!” they told him, “cross the Jordan tonight!” And they told him how Ahithophel had advised that he be captured and killed. ²² So David and all the people with him went across the Jordan River during the night, and they were all on the other bank before dawn.

²³ When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. He died there and was buried in the family tomb.

²⁴ David soon arrived at Mahanaim. By now, Absalom had mobilized the entire army of Israel and was leading his troops across the Jordan River. ²⁵ Absalom had appointed Amasa as commander of his army, replacing Joab, who had been commander under David. (Amasa was Joab’s cousin. His father was Jether,^[c] an Ishmaelite.^[d] His mother, Abigail daughter of Nahash, was the sister of Joab’s mother, Zeruiah.) ²⁶ Absalom and the Israelite army set up camp in the land of Gilead.

²⁷ When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was warmly greeted by Shobi son of Nahash, who came from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and by Makir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and by Barzillai of Gilead from Rogelim. ²⁸ They brought sleeping mats, cooking pots, serving bowls, wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans, lentils, ²⁹ honey, butter, sheep, goats, and cheese for David and those who were with him. For they said, “You must all be very hungry and tired and thirsty after your long march through the wilderness.”

²³ When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ²⁴ So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice^[a] for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.”^[b] So that is what they did.

²⁵ Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” ²⁷ And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

²⁸ Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”^{[c] 29} A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. ³⁰ When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

³¹ It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. ³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. ³³ But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. ³⁴ One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. ³⁵ (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe.^[d]) ³⁶ These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,”^{[e] 37} and “They will look on the one they pierced.”^[f]

The Burial of Jesus

³⁸ Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. ³⁹ With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds^[g] of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. ⁴⁰ Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. ⁴¹ The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. ⁴² And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover^[h] and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

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²³ Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness.

²⁴ Zadok and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices^[a] until everyone had passed out of the city.

²⁵ Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. “If the Lord sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle^[b] again. ²⁶ But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him.”

²⁷ The king also told Zadok the priest, “Look,^[c] here is my plan. You and Abiathar^[d] should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. ²⁸ I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River^[e] and wait there for a report from you.” ²⁹ So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.

³⁰ David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill. ³¹ When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, “O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!”

³² When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. ³³ But David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden. ³⁴ Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice. ³⁵ Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king’s palace, ³⁶ and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.”

³⁷ So David’s friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.

David and Ziba

16 When David had gone a little beyond the summit of the Mount of Olives, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth,^[f] was waiting there for him. He had two donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 bunches of summer fruit, and a wineskin full of wine.

² “What are these for?” the king asked Ziba.

Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s people to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is for those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”

³ “And where is Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson?” the king asked him.

“He stayed in Jerusalem,” Ziba replied. “He said, ‘Today I will get back the kingdom of my grandfather Saul.’”

⁴ “In that case,” the king told Ziba, “I give you everything Mephibosheth owns.”

“I bow before you,” Ziba replied. “May I always be pleasing to you, my lord the king.”

Shimei Curses David

⁵ As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. ⁶ He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. ⁷ “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. ⁸ “The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!”

⁹ “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?” Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. “Let me go over and cut off his head!”

¹⁰ “No!” the king said. “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the Lord has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?”

¹¹ Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul^[g] have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. ¹² And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged^[h] and will bless me because of these curses today.” ¹³ So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David.

¹⁴ The king and all who were with him grew weary along the way, so they rested when they reached the Jordan River.^[i]

Ahithophel Advises Absalom

¹⁵ Meanwhile, Absalom and all the army of Israel arrived at Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel. ¹⁶ When David’s friend Hushai the Arkite arrived, he went immediately to see Absalom. “Long live the king!” he exclaimed. “Long live the king!”

¹⁷ “Is this the way you treat your friend David?” Absalom asked him. “Why aren’t you with him?”

¹⁸ “I’m here because I belong to the man who is chosen by the Lord and by all the men of Israel,” Hushai replied. ¹⁹ “And anyway, why shouldn’t I serve you? Just as I was your father’s adviser, now I will be your adviser!”

²⁰ Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and asked him, “What should I do next?”

²¹ Ahithophel told him, “Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you.” ²² So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s concubines.

²³ Absalom followed Ahithophel’s advice, just as David had done. For every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God.

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

²⁵ Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?”

He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.”

²⁶ But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” ²⁷ Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.

Jesus’ Trial before Pilate

²⁸ Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor.^[a] His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?”

³⁰ “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.

³¹ “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them.

“Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. ³² (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.^[b])

³³ Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”

³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”

³⁶ Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

³⁷ Pilate said, “So you are a king?”

Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

³⁸ “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. ³⁹ But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

Jesus Sentenced to Death

19 Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. ² The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. ³ “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.

⁴ Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” ⁵ Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!”

⁶ When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

“Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”

⁷ The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”

⁸ When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. ⁹ He took Jesus back into the headquarters^[c] again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. ¹⁰ “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”

¹¹ Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

¹² Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’^[d] Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”

¹³ When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people,^[e] “Look, here is your king!”

¹⁵ “Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!”

“What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.

¹⁶ Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus away. ¹⁷ Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. ¹⁹ And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth,^[f] the King of the Jews.” ²⁰ The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.

²¹ Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”

²² Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”

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Joab Arranges for Absalom’s Return

14 Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom. ² So he sent for a woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning; wear mourning clothes and don’t put on lotions.^[a] Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time. ³ Then go to the king and tell him the story I am about to tell you.” Then Joab told her what to say.

⁴ When the woman from Tekoa approached^[b] the king, she bowed with her face to the ground in deep respect and cried out, “O king! Help me!”

⁵ “What’s the trouble?” the king asked.

“Alas, I am a widow!” she replied. “My husband is dead. ⁶ My two sons had a fight out in the field. And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed. ⁷ Now the rest of the family is demanding, ‘Let us have your son. We will execute him for murdering his brother. He doesn’t deserve to inherit his family’s property.’ They want to extinguish the only coal I have left, and my husband’s name and family will disappear from the face of the earth.”

⁸ “Leave it to me,” the king told her. “Go home, and I’ll see to it that no one touches him.”

⁹ “Oh, thank you, my lord the king,” the woman from Tekoa replied. “If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and on my father’s house, and let the king and his throne be innocent.”

¹⁰ “If anyone objects,” the king said, “bring him to me. I can assure you he will never harm you again!”

¹¹ Then she said, “Please swear to me by the Lord your God that you won’t let anyone take vengeance against my son. I want no more bloodshed.”

“As surely as the Lord lives,” he replied, “not a hair on your son’s head will be disturbed!”

¹² “Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king,” she said.

“Go ahead and speak,” he responded.

¹³ She replied, “Why don’t you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son. ¹⁴ All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.

¹⁵ “I have come to plead with my lord the king because people have threatened me. I said to myself, ‘Perhaps the king will listen to me ¹⁶ and rescue us from those who would cut us off from the inheritance^[c] God has given us. ¹⁷ Yes, my lord the king will give us peace of mind again.’ I know that you are like an angel of God in discerning good from evil. May the Lord your God be with you.”

¹⁸ “I must know one thing,” the king replied, “and tell me the truth.”

“Yes, my lord the king,” she responded.

¹⁹ “Did Joab put you up to this?”

And the woman replied, “My lord the king, how can I deny it? Nobody can hide anything from you. Yes, Joab sent me and told me what to say. ²⁰ He did it to place the matter before you in a different light. But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!”

²¹ So the king sent for Joab and told him, “All right, go and bring back the young man Absalom.”

²² Joab bowed with his face to the ground in deep respect and said, “At last I know that I have gained your approval, my lord the king, for you have granted me this request!”

²³ Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. ²⁴ But the king gave this order: “Absalom may go to his own house, but he must never come into my presence.” So Absalom did not see the king.

Absalom Reconciled to David

²⁵ Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot. ²⁶ He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds!^{[d] 27} He had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she was very beautiful.

²⁸ Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, but he never got to see the king. ²⁹ Then Absalom sent for Joab to ask him to intercede for him, but Joab refused to come. Absalom sent for him a second time, but again Joab refused to come. ³⁰ So Absalom said to his servants, “Go and set fire to Joab’s barley field, the field next to mine.” So they set his field on fire, as Absalom had commanded.

³¹ Then Joab came to Absalom at his house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”

³² And Absalom replied, “Because I wanted you to ask the king why he brought me back from Geshur if he didn’t intend to see me. I might as well have stayed there. Let me see the king; if he finds me guilty of anything, then let him kill me.”

³³ So Joab told the king what Absalom had said. Then at last David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed low before the king, and the king kissed him.

Absalom’s Rebellion

15 After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him. ² He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe. ³ Then Absalom would say, “You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it. ⁴ I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!”

⁵ When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn’t let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them. ⁶ Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.

⁷ After four years,^[e] Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and fulfill a vow I made to him. ⁸ For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the Lord in Hebron^[f] if he would bring me back to Jerusalem.”

⁹ “All right,” the king told him. “Go and fulfill your vow.”

So Absalom went to Hebron. ¹⁰ But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. “As soon as you hear the ram’s horn,” his message read, “you are to say, ‘Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.’” ¹¹ He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions. ¹² While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum.

David Escapes from Jerusalem

¹³ A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”

¹⁴ “Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster.”

¹⁵ “We are with you,” his advisers replied. “Do what you think is best.”

¹⁶ So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace. ¹⁷ The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last house ¹⁸ to let all the king’s men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king’s bodyguard.^[g]

¹⁹ Then the king turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, “Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. ²⁰ You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don’t even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the Lord show you his unfailing love and faithfulness.^[h]”

²¹ But Ittai said to the king, “I vow by the Lord and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death.”

²² David replied, “All right, come with us.” So Ittai and all his men and their families went along.

Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested

18 After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. ² Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. ³ The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove.

⁴ Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.

⁵ “Jesus the Nazarene,”^[a] they replied.

“I am he,”^[b] Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) ⁶ As Jesus said “I am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! ⁷ Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?”

And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

⁸ “I told you that I am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” ⁹ He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”^[c]

¹⁰ Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. ¹¹ But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?”

Jesus at the High Priest’s House

¹² So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. ¹³ First they took him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time.^{[d] 14} Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.”

Peter’s First Denial

¹⁵ Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. ¹⁶ Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. ¹⁷ The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?”

“No,” he said, “I am not.”

¹⁸ Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

¹⁹ Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. ²⁰ Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people^[e] gather. I have not spoken in secret. ²¹ Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.”

²² Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded.

²³ Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?”

²⁴ Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.

Mem

Nun

The Rape of Tamar

13 Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. In the course of time David’s son Amnon fell madly in love with her.^{[a] 2} But Amnon became frustrated because he was so lovesick^[b] over his sister Tamar. For she was a virgin, and to Amnon it seemed out of the question to do anything to her.

³ Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very crafty man. ⁴ He asked Amnon,^[c] “Why are you, the king’s son,^[d] so depressed every morning? Can’t you tell me?” So Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar the sister of my brother Absalom.” ⁵ Jonadab replied to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick.^[e] When your father comes in to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can fix some food for me. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I can watch. Then I will eat from her hand.’”

⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came in to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can make a couple of cakes in my sight. Then I will eat from her hand.”

⁷ So David sent Tamar to the house saying, “Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare some food for him.” ⁸ So Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother, who was lying down. She took the dough, kneaded it, made some cakes while he watched,^[f] and baked them.^{[g] 9} But when she took the pan and set it before him, he refused to eat. Instead Amnon said, “Get everyone out of here!”^[h] So everyone left.^[i]

¹⁰ Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the cakes into the bedroom; then I will eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes that she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom. ¹¹ As she brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said to her, “Come on! Get in bed with me,^[j] my sister!”

¹² But she said to him, “No, my brother! Don’t humiliate me! This just isn’t done in Israel! Don’t do this foolish thing! ¹³ How could I ever be rid of my humiliation? And you would be considered one of the fools^[k] in Israel! Just^[l] speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” ¹⁴ But he refused to listen to her.^[m] He overpowered her and humiliated her by raping her.^{[n] 15} Then Amnon greatly despised her.^[o] His disdain toward her surpassed the love he had previously felt toward her.^[p] Amnon said to her, “Get up and leave!”

¹⁶ But she said to him, “No I won’t, for sending me away now would be worse than what you did to me earlier!”^[q] But he refused to listen to her. ¹⁷ He called his personal attendant and said to him, “Take this woman out of my sight^[r] and lock the door behind her!” ¹⁸ (Now she was wearing a long robe,^[s] for this is what the king’s virgin daughters used to wear.) So Amnon’s^[t] attendant removed her and bolted the door^[u] behind her. ¹⁹ Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went on her way, wailing as she went.

²⁰ Her brother Absalom said to her, “Was Amnon your brother with you? Now be quiet, my sister. He is your brother. Don’t take it so seriously!”^[v] Tamar, devastated, lived in the house of her brother Absalom.

²¹ Now King David heard about all these things and was very angry.^{[w] 22} But Absalom said nothing to Amnon, either bad or good, yet Absalom hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar.

Absalom Has Amnon Put to Death

²³ Two years later Absalom’s sheepshearers were in Baal Hazor, near Ephraim. Absalom invited all the king’s sons. ²⁴ Then Absalom went to the king and said, “My shearers have begun their work.^[x] Let the king and his servants go with me.”

²⁵ But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son. We shouldn’t all go. We shouldn’t burden you in that way.” Though Absalom^[y] pressed^[z] him, the king^[aa] was not willing to go. Instead, David^[ab] blessed him.

²⁶ Then Absalom said, “If you will not go,^[ac] then let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king replied to him, “Why should he go with you?” ²⁷ But when Absalom pressed him, he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons along with him.

²⁸ Absalom instructed his servants, “Look! When Amnon is drunk^[ad] and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ kill him then and there. Don’t fear! Is it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and courageous!”^{[ae] 29} So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed. Then all the king’s sons got up; each one rode away on his mule and fled.

³⁰ While they were still on their way, the following report reached David: “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons; not one of them is left!” ³¹ Then the king stood up and tore his garments and lay down on the ground. All his servants were standing there with torn garments as well.

³² Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, said, “My lord should not say, ‘They have killed all the young men who are the king’s sons.’ For only Amnon is dead. This is what Absalom has talked about^[af] from the day that Amnon^[ag] humiliated his sister Tamar. ³³ Now don’t let my lord the king be concerned about the report that has come saying, ‘All the king’s sons are dead.’ It is only Amnon who is dead.”

³⁴ In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west^[ah] on a road beside the hill. ³⁵ Jonadab said to the king, “Look! The king’s sons have come! It’s just as I said.”

³⁶ Just as he finished speaking, the king’s sons arrived, wailing and weeping.^[ai] The king and all his servants wept loudly^[aj] as well. ³⁷ But Absalom fled and went to King Talmai son of Ammihud of Geshur. And David^[ak] grieved over his son every day.

³⁸ After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he remained there for three years. ³⁹ The king longed^[al] to go to Absalom, for he had since been consoled over the death of Amnon.^[am]

Jesus Prays for the Father to Glorify Him

17 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward^[a] to heaven^[b] and said, “Father, the time^[c] has come. Glorify your Son, so that your^[d] Son may glorify you— ² just as you have given him authority over all humanity,^[e] so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him.^{[f] 3} Now this^[g] is eternal life^[h]—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,^[i] whom you sent. ⁴ I glorified you on earth by completing^[j] the work you gave me to do.^{[k] 5} And now, Father, glorify me at your side^[l] with the glory I had with you before the world was created.^[m]

Jesus Prays for the Disciples

⁶ “I have revealed^[n] your name^[o] to the men^[p] you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you,^[q] and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed^[r] your word. ⁷ Now they understand^[s] that everything^[t] you have given me comes from you, ⁸ because I have given them the words you have given me. They^[u] accepted^[v] them^[w] and really^[x] understand^[y] that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹ I am praying^[z] on behalf of them. I am not praying^[aa] on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you.^{[ab] 10} Everything^[ac] I have belongs to you,^[ad] and everything you have belongs to me,^[ae] and I have been glorified by them.^{[af] 11} I^[ag] am no longer in the world, but^[ah] they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe^[ai] in your name^[aj] that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one.^{[ak] 12} When I was with them I kept them safe^[al] and watched over them^[am] in your name^[an] that you have given me. Not one^[ao] of them was lost except the one destined for destruction,^[ap] so that the scripture could be fulfilled.^{[aq] 13} But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience^[ar] my joy completed^[as] in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them your word,^[at] and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world,^[au] just as I do not belong to the world.^{[av] 15} I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe^[aw] from the evil one.^{[ax] 16} They do not belong to the world^[ay] just as I do not belong to the world.^{[az] 17} Set them apart^[ba] in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.^{[bb] 19} And I set myself apart^[bc] on their behalf,^[bd] so that they too may be truly set apart.^[be]

Jesus Prays for Believers Everywhere

²⁰ “I am not praying^[bf] only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe^[bg] in me through their testimony,^{[bh] 21} that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray^[bi] that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. ²² The glory^[bj] you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one,^[bk] so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.

²⁴ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am,^[bl] so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world^[bm] . ²⁵ Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men^[bn] know that you sent me. ²⁶ I made known your name^[bo] to them, and I will continue to make it known,^[bp] so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”

כ (Kaf)

ל (Lamed)

Nathan the Prophet Confronts David

12 So the Lord sent Nathan^[a] to David. When he came to David,^[b] Nathan^[c] said,^[d] “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. ³ But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children.^[e] It used to^[f] eat his food,^[g] drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms.^[h] It was just like a daughter to him.

⁴ “When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home,^[i] he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed^[j] the traveler who had come to visit him.^[k] Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked^[l] it for the man who had come to visit him.”

⁵ Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!^{[m] 6} Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!”^[n]

⁷ Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘I chose^[o] you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms.^[p] I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well! ⁹ Why have you shown contempt for the Lord’s decrees^[q] by doing evil in my^[r] sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife to be your own wife! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰ So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’ ¹¹ This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on you^[s] from inside your own household!^[t] Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion.^[u] He will go to bed with^[v] your wives in broad daylight!^{[w] 12} Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’”^[x]

¹³ Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven^[y] your sin. You are not going to die. ¹⁴ Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempt^[z] in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.”

¹⁵ Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill.^{[aa] 16} Then David prayed to^[ab] God for the child and fasted.^[ac] He would even^[ad] go and spend the night lying on the ground. ¹⁷ The elders of his house stood over him and tried to lift him from the ground, but he was unwilling, and refused to eat food with them.

¹⁸ On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, “While the child was still alive he would not listen to us^[ae] when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!”^[af]

¹⁹ When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he^[ag] realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They replied, “Yes, he’s dead.” ²⁰ So David got up from the ground, bathed, put on oil, and changed his clothes. He went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then, when he entered his palace, he requested that food be brought to him, and he ate.

²¹ His servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? While^[ah] the child was still alive, you fasted and wept. Once the child was dead you got up and ate food!” ²² He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought,^[ai] ‘Perhaps^[aj] the Lord will show pity and the child will live.’ ²³ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back at this point? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!”

²⁴ So David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He came to her^[ak] and went to bed with her.^[al] Later she gave birth to a son, and David^[am] named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved the child^{[an] 25} and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah^[ao] for the Lord’s sake.

David’s Forces Defeat the Ammonites

^26 [ap] So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. ²⁷ Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.^{[aq] 28} So now assemble the rest of the army^[ar] and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city and it will be named for me.”

²⁹ So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it. ³⁰ He took the crown of their king^[as] from his head—it was gold, weighed about seventy-five pounds,^[at] and held a precious stone—and it was placed on David’s head. He also took from the city a great deal of plunder. ³¹ He removed^[au] the people who were in it and made them labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, putting them to work^[av] at the brick kiln. This was his policy^[aw] with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.

16 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away.^{[a] 2} They will put you out of^[b] the synagogue,^[c] yet a time^[d] is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.^{[e] 3} They^[f] will do these things because they have not known the Father or me.^{[g] 4} But I have told you these things^[h] so that when their time^[i] comes, you will remember that I told you about them.^[j]

“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you.^{[k] 5} But now I am going to the one who sent me,^[l] and not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’^{[m] 6} Instead your hearts are filled with sadness^[n] because I have said these things to you. ⁷ But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate^[o] will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he^[p] comes, he will prove the world wrong^[q] concerning sin and^[r] righteousness and^[s] judgment— ⁹ concerning sin, because^[t] they do not believe in me;^{[u] 10} concerning righteousness,^[v] because^[w] I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; ¹¹ and concerning judgment,^[x] because^[y] the ruler of this world^[z] has been condemned.^[aa]

¹² “I have many more things to say to you,^[ab] but you cannot bear^[ac] them now. ¹³ But when he,^[ad] the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide^[ae] you into all truth.^[af] For he will not speak on his own authority,^[ag] but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you^[ah] what is to come.^{[ai] 14} He^[aj] will glorify me,^[ak] because he will receive^[al] from me what is mine^[am] and will tell it to you.^{[an] 15} Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit^[ao] will receive from me what is mine^[ap] and will tell it to you.^{[aq] 16} In a little while you^[ar] will see me no longer; again after a little while, you^[as] will see me.”^[at]

¹⁷ Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is the meaning of what he is saying,^[au] ‘In a little while you^[av] will not see me; again after a little while, you^[aw] will see me,’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?”^{[ax] 18} So they kept on repeating,^[ay] “What is the meaning of what he says,^[az] ‘In a little while’?^[ba] We do not understand^[bb] what he is talking about.”^[bc]

¹⁹ Jesus could see^[bd] that they wanted to ask him about these things,^[be] so^[bf] he said to them, “Are you asking^[bg] each other about this—that I said, ‘In a little while you^[bh] will not see me; again after a little while, you^[bi] will see me’? ²⁰ I tell you the solemn truth,^[bj] you will weep^[bk] and wail,^[bl] but the world will rejoice; you will be sad,^[bm] but your sadness will turn into^[bn] joy. ²¹ When a woman gives birth, she has distress^[bo] because her time^[bp] has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being^[bq] has been born into the world.^{[br] 22} So also you have sorrow^[bs] now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.^{[bt] 23} At that time^[bu] you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth,^[bv] whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.^{[bw] 24} Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it,^[bx] so that your joy may be complete.

²⁵ “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech;^[by] a time^[bz] is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you^[ca] plainly^[cb] about the Father. ²⁶ At that time^[cc] you will ask in my name, and I do not say^[cd] that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.^{[ce] 28} I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn,^[cf] I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”^[cg]

²⁹ His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly^[ch] and not in obscure figures of speech!^{[ci] 30} Now we know that you know everything^[cj] and do not need anyone^[ck] to ask you anything.^[cl] Because of this^[cm] we believe that you have come from God.”

³¹ Jesus replied,^[cn] “Do you now believe? ³² Look, a time^[co] is coming—and has come—when you will be scattered, each one to his own home,^[cp] and I will be left alone.^[cq] Yet^[cr] I am not alone, because my Father^[cs] is with me. ³³ I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering,^[ct] but take courage^[cu]—I have conquered the world.”^[cv]

ט (Tet)

י (Yod)

David Finds Mephibosheth

9 ^[a] Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family^[b] of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”

² Now there was a servant from Saul’s house named Ziba, so he was summoned to David. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He replied, “At your service.”^{[c] 3} The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family^[d] that I may extend God’s kindness to him?” Ziba said to the king, “One of Jonathan’s sons is left; both of his feet are crippled.” ⁴ The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

⁵ So King David had him brought^[e] from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in^[f] Lo Debar. ⁶ When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed low with his face toward the ground.^[g] David said, “Mephibosheth?” He replied, “Yes, at your service.”^[h]

⁷ David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, because I will certainly extend kindness to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will give back to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will be a regular guest at my table.”^{[i] 8} Then Mephibosheth^[j] bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?”^[k]

⁹ Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s attendant, and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire house I hereby give to your master’s grandson. ¹⁰ You will cultivate^[l] the land for him—you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce^[m] and it will be^[n] food for your master’s grandson to eat.^[o] But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will be a regular guest at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

¹¹ Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do everything that my lord the king has instructed his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth was a regular guest^[p] at David’s table,^[q] just as though he were one of the king’s sons.

¹² Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants. ¹³ Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem, for he was a regular guest at the king’s table. But both his feet were crippled.

David and the Ammonites

10 Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him.^{[r] 2} David said, “I will express my loyalty^[s] to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal^[t] to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death.^[u] When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites, ³ the Ammonite officials said to their lord Hanun, “Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy?^[v] No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!”^[w]

⁴ So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved off half of each one’s beard. He cut the lower part of their robes off so that their buttocks were exposed,^[x] and then sent them away. ⁵ Messengers^[y] told David what had happened,^[z] so he sent them to the men who were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown again; then you may come back.”

⁶ When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them,^[aa] they^[ab] sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah,^[ac] in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish Tob.^[ad]

⁷ When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them.^{[ae] 8} The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the men from Aram Zobah, Rehob, Ish Tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

⁹ When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel’s best men and deployed them against the Arameans.^{[af] 10} He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army^[ag] and they were deployed^[ah] against the Ammonites. ¹¹ Joab^[ai] said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me,^[aj] you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you,^[ak] I will come to your rescue. ¹² Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!”^[al]

¹³ So Joab and his men^[am] marched out to do battle with the Arameans, and they fled before him. ¹⁴ When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before his brother Abishai and went into the city. Joab withdrew from fighting the Ammonites and returned to^[an] Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they consolidated their forces.^{[ao] 16} Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from^[ap] beyond the Euphrates River,^[aq] and they came to Helam. Shobach, the general in command of Hadadezer’s army, led them.^[ar]

¹⁷ When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River,^[as] and came to Helam. The Arameans deployed their forces against David and fought with him. ¹⁸ The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers.^[at] He also struck down Shobach, the general in command of the army, who died there. ¹⁹ When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer^[au] saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel.^[av] The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.

David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba

11 In the spring of the year, at the time when kings^[aw] normally conduct wars,^[ax] David sent out Joab with his officers^[ay] and the entire Israelite army.^[az] They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem.^{[ba] 2} One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace.^[bb] From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive.^{[bc] 3} So David sent someone to inquire about the woman. The messenger^[bd] said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

⁴ David sent some messengers to get her.^[be] She came to^[bf] him and he went to bed with her.^[bg] (Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.)^[bh] Then she returned to her home. ⁵ The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, “I’m pregnant.”

⁶ So David sent a message to Joab that said, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked about how Joab and the army were doing and how the campaign was going.^{[bi] 8} Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your home and relax.”^[bj] When Uriah left the palace, the king sent a gift to him.^{[bk] 9} But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all^[bl] the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house.

¹⁰ So they informed David, “Uriah has not gone down to his house.” So David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey? Why haven’t you gone down to your house?” ¹¹ Uriah replied to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord’s soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and go to bed with^[bm] my wife? As surely as you are alive,^[bn] I will not do this thing!” ¹² So David said to Uriah, “Stay here another day. Tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem both that day and the following one.^{[bo] 13} Then David summoned him. He ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out to sleep on his bed with the servants of his lord; he did not go down to his own house.

¹⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. ¹⁵ In the letter he wrote: “Station Uriah at the front in the thick of the battle and then withdraw from him so he will be cut down and killed.”

¹⁶ So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers^[bp] were. ¹⁷ When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers^[bq] fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.

¹⁸ Then Joab sent a full battle report to David.^{[br] 19} He instructed the messenger as follows: “When you finish giving the battle report to the king, ²⁰ if the king becomes angry and asks you, ‘Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the wall? ²¹ Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone^[bs] down on him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?’ just say to him, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’”

²² So the messenger departed. When he arrived, he informed David of all the news that Joab had sent with him. ²³ The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and attacked us^[bt] in the field. But we forced them to retreat^[bu] all the way to the door of the city gate. ²⁴ Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall and some of the king’s soldiers^[bv] died. Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.” ²⁵ David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing upset you.^[bw] There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down.^[bx] Press the battle against the city and conquer^[by] it.’ Encourage him with these words.”^[bz]

²⁶ When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for him.^{[ca] 27} When the time of mourning passed, David had her brought to his palace.^[cb] She became his wife and she bore him a son. But what David had done upset the Lord.^[cc]

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am the true vine^[a] and my Father is the gardener.^{[b] 2} He takes away^[c] every branch that does not bear^[d] fruit in me. He^[e] prunes^[f] every branch that bears^[g] fruit so that it will bear more fruit. ³ You are clean already^[h] because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain^[i] in me, and I will remain in you.^[j] Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,^[k] unless it remains^[l] in^[m] the vine, so neither can you unless you remain^[n] in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains^[o] in me—and I in him—bears^[p] much fruit,^[q] because apart from me you can accomplish^[r] nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not remain^[s] in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire,^[t] and are burned up.^{[u] 7} If you remain^[v] in me and my words remain^[w] in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you.^{[x] 8} My Father is honored^[y] by this, that^[z] you bear^[aa] much fruit and show that you are^[ab] my disciples.

⁹ “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain^[ac] in my love. ¹⁰ If you obey^[ad] my commandments, you will remain^[ae] in my love, just as I have obeyed^[af] my Father’s commandments and remain^[ag] in his love. ¹¹ I have told you these things^[ah] so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. ¹² My commandment is this—to love one another just as I have loved you.^{[ai] 13} No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life^[aj] for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends^[ak] if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I no longer call you slaves,^[al] because the slave does not understand^[am] what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything^[an] I heard^[ao] from my Father. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you^[ap] and appointed you to go and bear^[aq] fruit, fruit that remains,^[ar] so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. ¹⁷ This^[as] I command you—to love one another.

The World’s Hatred

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, be aware^[at] that it hated me first.^{[au] 19} If you belonged to the world,^[av] the world would love you as its own.^[aw] However, because you do not belong to the world,^[ax] but I chose you out of the world, for this reason^[ay] the world hates you.^{[az] 20} Remember what^[ba] I told you, ‘A slave^[bb] is not greater than his master.’^[bc] If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed^[bd] my word, they will obey^[be] yours too. ²¹ But they will do all these things to you on account of^[bf] my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.^{[bg] 22} If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.^[bh] But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. ²³ The one who hates me hates my Father too. ²⁴ If I had not performed^[bi] among them the miraculous deeds^[bj] that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin.^[bk] But now they have seen the deeds^[bl] and have hated both me and my Father.^{[bm] 25} Now this happened^[bn] to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’^{[bo] 26} When the Advocate^[bp] comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he^[bq] will testify about me, ²⁷ and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

ז (Zayin)

ח (Khet)