2 SAMUEL 18:1-19:10
JOHN 20:1-31
PSALM 119:153-176
PROVERBS 16:14-15
2 SAMUEL 18:1-19:10
David now appointed generals and captains to lead his troops. 2 One-third were placed under Joab, one-third under Joab's brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one-third under Ittai the Gittite. 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 ten thousand of us, and it is better that you stay here in the city and send us help if we need it." 4 " If you think that's the best plan, I'll do it," the king finally agreed. So he stood at the gate of the city as all the divisions of troops passed by. 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, and twenty thousand men laid down their lives that day. 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 came unexpectedly upon some of David's men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great oak, his head got caught. 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 in a tree." 11 " What?" Joab demanded. " You saw him there and didn't kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero's belt!" 12 " I wouldn't do it for a thousand pieces of silver," the man replied. " We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ` For my sake, please don't harm 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 from the oak still alive. 15 Ten of Joab's young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him. 16 Then Joab blew the trumpet, 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 the army of Israel fled to their homes. 18 During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King's Valley, for he had 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. 19 Then Zadok's son Ahimaaz said, " Let me run to the king with the good news that the LORD has saved him from his enemy Absalom." 20 " No," Joab told him, " it wouldn't be good news to the king that his son is dead. You can be my messenger some other time, but not today." 21 Then Joab said to a man from Cush, " 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 you." 23 " Yes, but let me go anyway," he begged. Joab finally said, " All right, go ahead." Then Ahimaaz took a shortcut across the plain of the Jordan and got to Mahanaim ahead of the man from Cush. 24 While David was sitting at the city gate, 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, " All is well!" He bowed low with his face to the ground and said, " Blessed be the LORD your God, who has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against you." 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 Cush 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 Cushite replied, " May all of your enemies, both now and in the future, be as that young man is!" 33 The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to his 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 could have died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son."19:1 WORD soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom. 2 As the troops 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 city as though they were ashamed and had been beaten in battle. 4 The king covered his face with his hands and kept on weeping, " 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, as though we had done something wrong. 6 You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that we mean nothing to you. If Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased. 7 Now go out there and congratulate the troops, for I swear by the LORD that if you don't, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than you have ever been." 8 So the king went out and sat at the city gate, and as the news spread throughout the city that he was there, everyone went to him. Meanwhile, the Israelites who supported Absalom had fled to their homes. 9 And throughout the tribes of Israel there was much discussion and argument going on. The people were saying, " The king saved us from our enemies, the Philistines, but Absalom chased him out of the country. 10 Now Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, is dead. Let's ask David to come back and be our king again."
JOHN 20:1-31
Early Sunday morning, 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 I don't know where they have put him!" 3 Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. 4 The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth 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 to the side. 8 Then the other disciple also went in, and he saw and believed--9 for until then they hadn't realized that the Scriptures said he would rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home. 11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 " 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 glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. 15 " 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 toward him and exclaimed, " 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 that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, 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.19 That evening, on the first day of the week, 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 held out his hands for them to see, and he showed them his side. They were filled with joy when they saw their Lord! 21 He spoke to them again and said, " Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 Then he breathed on them and said to them, " Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you refuse to forgive them, they are unforgiven." 24 One of the disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), 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. He said, " Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, " Put your finger here and see 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 haven't seen me and believe anyway." 30 Jesus' disciples saw him do many other miraculous signs besides the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life.
PSALM 119:153-176
Look down upon my sorrows and rescue me,
for I have not forgotten your law.
154 Argue my case; take my side!
Protect my life as you promised.
155 The wicked are far from salvation,
for they do not bother with your principles.
156 LORD, how great is your mercy;
in your justice, give me back my life.
157 Many persecute and trouble me,
yet I have not swerved from your decrees.
158 I hate these traitors
because they care nothing for your word.
159 See how I love your commandments, LORD.
Give back my life because of your unfailing love.
160 All your words are true;
all your just laws will stand forever.
161 Powerful people harass me without cause,
but my heart trembles only at your word.
162 I rejoice in your word
like one who finds a great treasure.
163 I hate and abhor all falsehood,
but I love your law.
164 I will praise you seven times a day
because all your laws are just.
165 Those who love your law have great peace
and do not stumble.
166 I long for your salvation, LORD,
so I have obeyed your commands.
167 I have obeyed your decrees,
and I love them very much.
168 Yes, I obey your commandments and decrees,
because you know everything I do.
169 O LORD, listen to my cry;
give me the discerning mind you promised.
170 Listen to my prayer;
rescue me as you promised.
171 Let my lips burst forth with praise,
for you have taught me your principles.
172 Let my tongue sing about your word,
for all your commands are right.
173 Stand ready to help me,
for I have chosen to follow your commandments.
174 O LORD, I have longed for your salvation,
and your law is my delight.
175 Let me live so I can praise you,
and may your laws sustain me.
176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
come and find me,
for I have not forgotten your commands.
PROVERBS 16:14-15
The anger of the king is a deadly threat; the wise do what they can to appease it. When the king smiles, there is life; his favor refreshes like a gentle rain.
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