1When Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, heard about Abner’s death at Hebron, he lost all courage, and all Israel became paralyzed with fear. 2Now there were two brothers, Baanah and Recab, who were captains of Ishbosheth’s raiding parties. They were sons of Rimmon, a member of the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Beeroth. The town of Beeroth is now part of Benjamin’s territory 3because the original people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim, where they still live as foreigners.

4(Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled as a child. He was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child’s nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled. But as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled.)5One day Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, went to Ishbosheth’s house around noon as he was taking his midday rest. 6The doorkeeper, who had been sifting wheat, became drowsy and fell asleep. So Recab and Baanah slipped past her.

7They went into the house and found Ishbosheth sleeping on his bed. They struck and killed him and cut off his head. Then, taking his head with them, they fled across the Jordan Valley through the night. 8When they arrived at Hebron, they presented Ishbosheth’s head to David. “Look!” they exclaimed to the king. “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you. Today the Lord has given my lord the king revenge on Saul and his entire family!”9But David said to Recab and Baanah, “The Lord, who saves me from all my enemies, is my witness. 10Someone once told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ thinking he was bringing me good news. But I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That’s the reward I gave him for his news!

11How much more should I reward evil men who have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed? Shouldn’t I hold you responsible for his blood and rid the earth of you?”12So David ordered his young men to kill them, and they did. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies beside the pool in Hebron. Then they took Ishbosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

Chapter 5

1Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2In the past,* when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’ ”3So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.4David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. 5He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

6David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” For the Jebusites thought they were safe. 7But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.8On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, “I hate those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites.* Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel.*” That is the origin of the saying, “The blind and the lame may not enter the house.”

9So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces* and working inward. 10And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.11Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace. 12And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

13After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters. 14These are the names of David’s sons who were born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold. 18 The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 19So David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”
The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”

20So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “The Lord did it!” David exclaimed. “He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”). 21The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them.22But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 23And again David asked the Lord what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” the Lord replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar* trees. 24When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.” 25So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon* to Gezer.

Chapter 6

1Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. 2He led them to Baalah of Judah* to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. 3They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart as it left the house, 4carrying the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark. 5David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs* and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

6But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. 7Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.8David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today.

9David was now afraid of the Lord, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of the Lord back into my care?” 10So David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 11The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.12 Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. 13After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.* 15So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.

16But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.17 They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. 18 When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 19 Then he gave to every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates,* and a cake of raisins. Then all the people returned to their homes.

20When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”21David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. 22Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!” 23So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.

John 13:31–14:14

31As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man* to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. 32And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son. 33Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

36Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?”And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”37“But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.”38Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.

Chapter 14

1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place foryou?3When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4And you know the way to where I am going.”5“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
8Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.12“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”

Psalm 119:17-32

17  Be good to your servant,
that I may live and obey your
word.

18  Open my eyes to see
the wonderful truths in your instructions.

19  I am only a foreigner in the land.
Don’t hide your commands from me!

20  I am always overwhelmed
with a desire for your regulations.

21  You rebuke the arrogant;
those who wander from your commands are cursed.

22  Don’t let them scorn and insult me,
for I have obeyed your laws.

23  Even princes sit and speak against me,
but I will meditate on your decrees.

24  Your laws please me;
they give me wise advice.

Daleth

25  I lie in the dust;
revive me by your word.

26  I told you my plans, and you
answered.
Now teach me your decrees.

27  Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,
and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.

28  I weep with sorrow;
encourage me by your word.

29  Keep me from lying to myself;
give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.

30  I have chosen to be faithful;
I have determined to live by your regulations.

31  I cling to your laws.
Lord, don’t let me be put to shame!

32  I will pursue your commands,
for you expand my understanding.

Proverbs 15:31-32

31  If you listen to constructive criticism,
you will be at home among the wise.

32  If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself;
but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding