The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday June 2, 2020 (NIV)

¹¹ What all Israel was saying reached the king at his house. So King David sent this message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar: “Ask the leaders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last tribe to bring the king back to his palace? ¹² You are my relatives, my own flesh and blood. Why should you be the last to bring back the king?’ ¹³ And tell Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God strike me dead unless you are given Joab’s place to serve me always as the commander of the army.’”

¹⁴ All the people of Judah were in total agreement. So they sent the king this message: “Come back with all your servants.”

¹⁵ The king came back to the Jordan River, and the people of Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and bring him across the Jordan River. ¹⁶ Shimei, Gera’s son from the tribe of Benjamin and the town of Bahurim, hurried down with the people of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷ One thousand people from Benjamin were with him. And Ziba, the servant of Saul’s family, rushed to the Jordan River across from the king. Ziba brought his 15 sons and 20 servants. ¹⁸ They crossed the river to bring over the king’s family and to do anything else the king wanted.

Shimei, Gera’s son, bowed down in front of the king as he was going to cross the Jordan River. ¹⁹ He pleaded with the king, “Don’t remember the crime I committed the day you left Jerusalem. Don’t hold it against me or even think about it, Your Majesty. ²⁰ I know I’ve sinned. Today I’ve come as the first of all the house of Joseph to meet you.”

²¹ But Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, replied, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for cursing the Lord’s anointed king?”

²² David responded, “Are you sure we’re from the same family, sons of Zeruiah? You are my enemies today. Should anyone in Israel be killed today? Don’t I know that I’m king of Israel again?”

²³ The king promised Shimei, “You won’t die,” and the king swore to it.

²⁴ Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went to meet the king. He had not tended to his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until he came home safely. ²⁵ When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”

²⁶ He answered, “My servant deceived me, Your Majesty. Since I am disabled, I said, ‘Saddle the donkey for me, and I’ll ride on it and go with the king.’ ²⁷ He told you lies about me, Your Majesty. However, you are like God’s Messenger. Do what you think is right. ²⁸ You could have killed anyone in my entire family, Your Majesty. Instead, you’ve seated me with those who eat at your table. So I no longer have the right to complain to the king.”

²⁹ The king asked him, “Why do you keep talking about it? I’ve said that you and Ziba should divide the land.”

³⁰ “Let him take it all,” Mephibosheth told the king. “It’s enough for me that you’ve come home safely.”

³¹ Barzillai, the man from Gilead, came from Rogelim with the king to the Jordan River to send him on his way. ³² Barzillai was an elderly man, 80 years old. Because he was a very rich man, he had provided the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim.

³³ The king told Barzillai, “Cross the river with me. I’ll provide for you in Jerusalem.”

³⁴ Barzillai replied, “I don’t have much longer to live. I shouldn’t go with Your Majesty to Jerusalem. ³⁵ I’m 80 years old now. How can I tell what is pleasant and what is not? Can I taste what I eat or drink? Can I still hear the singing of men and women? Why should I now become a burden to you, Your Majesty? ³⁶ I’ll just cross the Jordan River with you. Why should you give me such a reward? ³⁷ Please let me go back so that I can die in my city near the grave of my father and mother. But here is Chimham. Let him go across with you. And do for him what you think is right.”

³⁸ “Chimham will go across with me,” the king said. “I will do for him whatever you want. Anything you wish I’ll do for you.”

³⁹ All the troops crossed the Jordan River, and then the king crossed. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him. Then Barzillai went back home.

⁴⁰ The king crossed the river to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. All the troops from Judah and half of the troops from Israel brought the king across.

⁴¹ Then all the people of Israel kept coming to the king. They asked, “Why did our cousins, the people of Judah, kidnap you and bring Your Majesty and your family and men across the Jordan River?”

⁴² All the people of Judah answered the people of Israel, “Because the king is our relative. Why are you angry about this? Did we eat the king’s food, or did he give us any gifts?”^[a]

⁴³ The people of Israel answered the people of Judah, “We have ten times your interest in the king and a greater claim on David than you have. Why, then, do you despise us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?”

But the people of Judah spoke even more harshly than the people of Israel.

Sheba’s Rebellion

20 A good-for-nothing man by the name of Sheba, Bichri’s son, from the tribe of Benjamin happened to be at Gilgal. He blew a ram’s horn to announce,

² So all the people of Israel left David to follow Sheba, Bichri’s son. But the people of Judah remained loyal to their king on his way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.

³ When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines^[b] he had left to look after the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but no longer slept with them. So they lived like widows in confinement until they died.

⁴ The king told Amasa, “Call the people of Judah together for me, and in three days be here yourself.” ⁵ Amasa went to call Judah together, but he took longer to do it than David had given him.

⁶ David then told Abishai, “Sheba, son of Bichri, will do us more harm than Absalom. Take my men and go after him, or he will find some fortified cities and take the best ones for himself.”^[c]

⁷ So Joab’s men, the Cherethites, Pelethites, and all the soldiers went with Abishai. They left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba, Bichri’s son. ⁸ When they were at the large rock in Gibeon, Amasa met them there. Joab wore a military uniform, and strapped over it at his hip was a sword in a scabbard. As he stepped forward, the sword dropped into his hand. ⁹ “How are you, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. He took hold of Amasa’s beard with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰ Amasa wasn’t on his guard against the sword in Joab’s left hand. Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and his intestines poured out on the ground. (He died without being stabbed again.) Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba, son of Bichri. ¹¹ One of Joab’s young men stood beside Amasa^[d] and said, “Anyone who favors Joab and is on David’s side should follow Joab.” ¹² Amasa was wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road. When the man saw that all the troops stopped as they came to the body, he carried Amasa from the road to the field and threw a sheet over him. ¹³ As soon as he was moved from the road, everyone followed Joab and pursued Sheba, Bichri’s son.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples Again

21 Later, by the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. This is what happened. ² Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two other disciples of Jesus were together. ³ Simon Peter said to the others, “I’m going fishing.”

They told him, “We’re going with you.”

They went out in a boat but didn’t catch a thing that night. ⁴ As the sun was rising, Jesus stood on the shore. The disciples didn’t realize that it was Jesus.

⁵ Jesus asked them, “Friends, haven’t you caught any fish?”

They answered him, “No, we haven’t.”

⁶ He told them, “Throw the net out on the right side of the boat, and you’ll catch some.” So they threw the net out and were unable to pull it in because so many fish were in it.

⁷ The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put back on the clothes that he had taken off and jumped into the sea. ⁸ The other disciples came with the boat and dragged the net full of fish. They weren’t far from the shore, only about 100 yards.

⁹ When they went ashore, they saw a fire with a fish lying on the coals, and they saw a loaf of bread.

¹⁰ Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” ¹¹ Simon Peter got into the boat and pulled the net ashore. Though the net was filled with 153 large fish, it was not torn.

¹² Jesus told them, “Come, have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared to ask him who he was. They knew he was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus took the bread, gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

¹⁴ This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after he had come back to life.

Jesus Speaks with Peter

¹⁵ After they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the other disciples do?”

Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ Jesus asked him again, a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus told him, “Take care of my sheep.”

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

Peter felt sad because Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So Peter said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ I can guarantee this truth: When you were young, you would get ready to go where you wanted. But when you’re old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will get you ready to take you where you don’t want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to show by what kind of death Peter would bring glory to God. After saying this, Jesus told Peter, “Follow me!”

²⁰ Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved. That disciple was following them. He was the one who leaned against Jesus’ chest at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

²² Jesus said to Peter, “If I want him to live until I come again, how does that concern you? Follow me!” ²³ So a rumor that that disciple wouldn’t die spread among Jesus’ followers. But Jesus didn’t say that he wouldn’t die. What Jesus said was, “If I want him to live until I come again, how does that concern you?”

²⁴ This disciple was an eyewitness of these things and wrote them down. We know that what he says is true.

²⁵ Jesus also did many other things. If every one of them were written down, I suppose the world wouldn’t have enough room for the books that would be written.

Psalm 121

A song for going up to worship.