Beblia

Bible in one year May 23

1. Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose 12,000 men, and I will set out in pursuit of David tonight.

2. I will attack him while he is weak and weary, throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will scatter. I will strike down only the king

3. and bring all the people back to you. When everyone returns [except] the man you're seeking, all the people will be at peace."

4. This proposal seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5. Then Absalom said, "Summon Hushai the Archite also. Let's hear what he has to say as well."

6. So Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom told him: "Ahithophel offered this proposal. Should we carry out his proposal? If not, what do you say?"

7. Hushai replied to Absalom, "The advice Ahithophel has given this time is not good."

8. Hushai continued, "You know your father and his men. They are warriors and are desperate like a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is an experienced soldier who won't spend the night with the people.

9. He's probably already hiding in one of the caves or some other place. If some of our troops fall first, someone is sure to hear and say, 'There's been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.'

10. Then, even a brave man with the heart of a lion will melt because all Israel knows that your father and the valiant men with him are warriors.

11. Instead, I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba-- as numerous as the sand by the sea-- be gathered to you and that you personally go into battle.

12. Then we will attack David wherever we find him, and we will descend on him like dew on the ground. Not even one will be left of all the men with him.

13. If he retreats to some city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag its [stones] into the valley until not even a pebble can be found there."

14. Since the LORD had decreed that Ahithophel's good advice be undermined in order to bring about Absalom's ruin, Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel's advice."

15. Hushai then told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I advised.

16. Now send someone quickly and tell David, 'Don't spend the night at the wilderness ford [of the Jordan], but be sure to cross over, or the king and all the people with him will be destroyed.'"

17. Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, because they dared not be seen entering the city.

18. However, a young man did see them and informed Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.

19. Then his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything.

20. Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house and asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" "They passed by toward the water," the woman replied to them. The men searched but did not find [them], so they returned to Jerusalem.

21. After they had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed out of the well and went and informed King David. They told him, "Get up and immediately ford the river, for Ahithophel has given this advice against you."

22. So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one who had not crossed the Jordan.

23. When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He set his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father's tomb.

24. David had arrived at Mahanaim by the time Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.

25. Now Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in Joab's place. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Israelite;Ithra had married Abigail daughter of Nahash. Abigail was a sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

26. And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

27. When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim

28. brought beds, basins, and pottery items. [They also brought] wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,

29. honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and the people with him to eat. They had reasoned, "The people must be hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the desert."

2 Samuel 18:1-33

1. David reviewed his troops and appointed commanders of hundreds and of thousands over them.

2. He then sent out the troops, one third under Joab, one third under Joab's brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one third under Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, "I will also march out with you."

3. "You must not go!" the people pleaded. "If we have to flee, they will not pay any attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not pay any attention to us because you are worth 10,000 of us. Therefore, it is better if you support us from the city."

4. "I will do whatever you think is best," the king replied to them. So he stood beside the gate while all the troops marched out by hundreds and thousands.

5. The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake." All the people heard the king's orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

6. Then David's forces marched into the field to engage Israel in battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim.

7. The people of Israel were defeated by David's soldiers, and the slaughter there was vast that day-- 20,000 [casualties].

8. The battle spread over the entire region, and that day the forest claimed more people than the sword.

9. Absalom was riding on his mule when he happened to meet David's soldiers. When the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree, Absalom's head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so he was suspended in midair.

10. One of the men saw [him] and informed Joab. He said, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!"

11. "You just saw [him]!" Joab exclaimed. "Why didn't you strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you 10 silver pieces and a belt!"

12. The man replied to Joab, "Even if I had the weight of 1,000 pieces of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king's son. For we heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, 'Protect the young man Absalom for me.'

13. If I had jeopardized my own life-- and nothing is hidden from the king-- you would have abandoned me."

14. Joab said, "I'm not going to waste time with you!" He then took three spears in his hand and thrust them into Absalom's heart while he was still alive in the oak tree,

15. and 10 young men who were Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.

16. Afterwards, Joab blew the ram's horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab restrained them.

17. They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. And all Israel fled, each to his tent.

18. When he was alive, Absalom had erected for himself a pillar in the King's Valley, for he had said, "I have no son to preserve the memory of my name." So he gave the pillar his name. It is still called Absalom's Monument today.

19. Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, "Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the LORD has delivered him from his enemies."

20. Joab replied to him, "You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but today you aren't taking good news, because the king's son is dead."

21. Joab then said to the Cushite, "Go tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.

22. However, Ahimaaz son of Zadok persisted and said to Joab, "No matter what, please let me run too behind the Cushite!" Joab replied, "My son, why do you want to run since you won't get a reward?"

23. "No matter what I want to run!" "Then run!" Joab said to him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.

24. David was sitting between the two gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the gate and over to the wall. The watchman looked out and saw a man running alone.

25. He called out and told the king. The king said, "If he's alone, he bears good news." As the first runner came closer,

26. the watchman saw another man running. He called out to the gatekeeper, "Look! Another man is running alone!" "This one is also bringing good news," said the king.

27. The watchman said, "The way the first man runs looks to me like the way Ahimaaz son of Zadok runs." "This is a good man; he comes with good news," the king commented.

28. Ahimaaz called out to the king, "All is well," and then bowed down to the king with his face to the ground. He continued, "May the LORD your God be praised! He delivered up the men who rebelled against my lord the king."

29. The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom all right?" Ahimaaz replied, "When Joab sent the king's servant and your servant, I saw a big disturbance, but I don't know what [it was]."

30. The king said, "Move aside and stand here." So he stood to one side.

31. Just then the Cushite came and said, "May my lord the king hear the good news: today the LORD has delivered you from all those rising up against you!"

32. The king asked the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom all right?" The Cushite replied, "May what has become of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king and to all who rise up against you with evil intent."

33. The king was deeply moved and went up to the gate chamber and wept. As he walked, he cried, "My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!"

Psalms 66:16-20

16. Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for me.

17. I cried out to Him with my mouth, and praise was on my tongue.

18. If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

19. However, God has listened; He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer.

20. May God be praised! He has not turned away my prayer or turned His faithful love from me.

Proverbs 16:31-32

31. Gray hair is a glorious crown; it is found in the way of righteousness.

32. Patience is better than power, and controlling one's temper, than capturing a city.

John 7:28-53

28. As He was teaching in the temple complex, Jesus cried out, "You know Me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on My own, but the One who sent Me is true. You don't know Him;

29. I know Him because I am from Him, and He sent Me."

30. Then they tried to seize Him. Yet no one laid a hand on Him because His hour had not yet come.

31. However, many from the crowd believed in Him and said, "When the Messiah comes, He won't perform more signs than this man has done, will He?"

32. The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple police to arrest Him.

33. Then Jesus said, "I am only with you for a short time. Then I'm going to the One who sent Me.

34. You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come."

35. Then the Jews said to one another, "Where does He intend to go so we won't find Him? He doesn't intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, does He?

36. What is this remark He made: 'You will look for Me, and you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come'?"

37. On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink!

38. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him."

39. He said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been received, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

40. When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, "This really is the Prophet!"

41. Others said, "This is the Messiah!" But some said, "Surely the Messiah doesn't come from Galilee, does He?

42. Doesn't the Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David's offspring and from the town of Bethlehem, where David once lived?"

43. So a division occurred among the crowd because of Him.

44. Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

45. Then the temple police came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why haven't you brought Him?"

46. The police answered, "No man ever spoke like this!"

47. Then the Pharisees responded to them: "Are you fooled too?

48. Have any of the rulers believed in Him? Or any of the Pharisees?

49. But this crowd, which doesn't know the law, is accursed!"

50. Nicodemus-- the one who came to Him previously, being one of them-- said to them,

51. "Our law doesn't judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he's doing, does it?"

52. "You aren't from Galilee too, are you?" they replied. "Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee."

53. [[So each one went to his house.

English HCSB Version 2004