Reading through the Word.....Day 150

2 SAMUEL 18:1- 19:10
JOHN 20:1- 31
PSALM 119:153- 176
PROVERBS 16:14- 15


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."


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.


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.


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

Reading through the Word.....Day 149

2 SAMUEL 17:1- 29
JOHN 19:23- 42
PSALM 119:129- 152
PROVERBS 16:12- 13


Now Ahithophel urged Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men to start out after David tonight. 2 I will catch up to 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 this man's life that you seek. Then all the people will remain unharmed and peaceful." 4 This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the other leaders of Israel. 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, speak up." 7 "Well," Hushai replied, "this time I think Ahithophel has made a mistake. 8 You know your father and his men; they are mighty warriors. Right now they are probably as enraged as a mother bear who has been robbed of her cubs. And remember that your father is an experienced soldier. 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 everyone will start shouting that your men are being slaughtered. 10 Then even the bravest of them, though they have the heart of a lion, will be paralyzed with fear. For all Israel knows what a mighty man your father is and how courageous his warriors are. 11" I suggest that you mobilize the entire army of Israel, bringing them from as far away as Dan and Beersheba. That way you will have an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And I think that you should personally lead the troops. 12 When we find David, we can descend on him like the dew that falls to the ground, so that not one of his men is left alive. 13 And if David has escaped into some city, you will have the entire army of Israel there at your command. Then we can take ropes and drag the walls of the city into the nearest valley until every stone is torn down. "14 Then Absalom and all the leaders of Israel said," Hushai's advice is better than Ahithophel's. "For the LORD had arranged to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the better plan, so that he could bring disaster upon Absalom! 15 Then Hushai reported to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had said and what he himself had suggested instead. 16" Quick! "he told them." Find David and urge him not to stay at the shallows of the Jordan River 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 saw them leaving En- rogel to go to David, and he told Absalom about it. Meanwhile, they escaped to Bahurim, where a man hid them inside a well in his courtyard. 19 The man's wife put a cloth over the top of the well with 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? "She replied," They were here, but they crossed 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 Meanwhile, Ahithophel was publicly disgraced when Absalom refused his advice. So he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. He died there and was buried beside his father. 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, an Ishmaelite. 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 of Rabbah, an Ammonite, and by Makir son of Ammiel of Lo- debar, and by Barzillai of Gilead from Rogelim. 28 They brought sleeping mats, cooking pots, serving bowls, wheat and barley flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, 29 honey, butter, sheep, and cheese for David and those who were with him. For they said," You must all be very tired and hungry and thirsty after your long march through the wilderness. "


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 the top. 24 So they said," Let's not tear it but throw dice to see who gets it. "This fulfilled the Scripture that says," They divided my clothes among themselves and threw dice for my robe. "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," Woman, he is your son. "27 And he said to this disciple," She is your mother. "And from then on this disciple took her into his home. 28 Jesus knew that everything was now finished, and to fulfill the Scriptures he said," I am thirsty. "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 The Jewish leaders didn't want the victims hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath at that, because it was the Passover), 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 dead already, so they didn't break his legs. 34 One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out. 35 This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account; it is presented so that you also can believe. 36 These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say," Not one of his bones will be broken, "37 and" They will look on him whom they pierced. "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 Jesus' body down. When Pilate gave him permission, he came and took the body away. 39 Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night, also came, bringing about seventy- five pounds of embalming ointment made from myrrh and aloes. 40 Together they wrapped Jesus 'body in a long linen cloth with the spices, as is the Jewish custom of burial. 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 before the Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.


Your decrees are wonderful.
No wonder I obey them!
130 As your words are taught, they give light;
even the simple can understand them.
131 I open my mouth, panting expectantly,
longing for your commands.
132 Come and show me your mercy,
as you do for all who love your name.
133 Guide my steps by your word,
so I will not be overcome by any evil.
134 Rescue me from the oppression of evil people;
then I can obey your commandments.
135 Look down on me with love;
teach me all your principles.
136 Rivers of tears gush from my eyes
because people disobey your law.
137 O LORD, you are righteous,
and your decisions are fair.
138 Your decrees are perfect;
they are entirely worthy of our trust.
139 I am overwhelmed with rage,
for my enemies have disregarded your words.
140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested;
that is why I love them so much.
141 I am insignificant and despised,
but I don't forget your commandments.
142 Your justice is eternal,
and your law is perfectly true.
143 As pressure and stress bear down on me,
I find joy in your commands.
144 Your decrees are always fair;
help me to understand them, that I may live.
145 I pray with all my heart; answer me, LORD!
I will obey your principles.
146 I cry out to you; save me,
that I may obey your decrees.
147 I rise early, before the sun is up;
I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
148 I stay awake through the night,
thinking about your promise.
149 In your faithful love, O LORD, hear my cry;
in your justice, save my life.
150 Those lawless people are coming near to attack me;
they live far from your law.
151 But you are near, O LORD,
and all your commands are true.
152 I have known from my earliest days
that your decrees never change.


A king despises wrongdoing, for his rule depends on his justice. The king is pleased with righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly

Reading through the Word.....Day 148

2 SAMUEL 15:23- 16:23
JOHN 18:25- 19:22
PSALM 119:113- 128
PROVERBS 16:10- 11


There was deep sadness throughout the land as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness. 24 Abiathar and Zadok and the Levites took the Ark of the Covenant of God and set it down beside the road. Then they offered sacrifices there until everyone had passed by. 25 David 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 again. 26 But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him." 27 Then the king told Zadok the priest, "Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar 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 and wait there for a message from you. Let me know what happens in Jerusalem before I disappear into the wilderness." 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there. 30 David walked up the road that led 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 mountain. 31 When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!" 32 As they reached the spot at the top of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, David found Hushai the Arkite waiting 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, 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, are there. Tell them the plans that are being made to capture me, 36 and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to find me and tell me what is going on." 37 So David's friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived. 16:1 DAVID was just past the top of the hill when Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, caught up with him. He was leading two donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred bunches of summer fruit, and a skin of wine. 2 "What are these for?" the king asked Ziba. And Ziba replied, "The donkeys are for your people to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is to be taken with you into the wilderness for those who become faint." 3 "And where is Mephibosheth?" 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." "Thank you, sir," Ziba replied. "I will always do whatever you want me to do." 5 As David and his party passed Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, a member of Saul's family. 6 He threw stones at the king and the king's officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded them. 7 "Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!" he shouted at David. 8 "The LORD is paying you back for murdering Saul and his family. 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, you 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. "What am I going to do with you sons of Zeruiah! If the LORD has told him to curse me, who am I to stop him?" 11 Then David said to Abishai and the other officers, "My own son is trying to kill me. Shouldn't this relative of Saul 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 and will bless me because of these curses." 13 So David and his men continued on, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing as he went and throwing stones at David and tossing dust into the air. 14 The king and all who were with him grew weary along the way, so they rested when they reached the Jordan River. 15 Meanwhile, Absalom and his men 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 work for the man who is chosen by the LORD and by Israel," Hushai replied. 19 "And anyway, why shouldn't I serve you? I helped your father, and now I will help you!" 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 keep the house. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted him beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will give you their support." 22 So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went into the tent to sleep 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.


Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire, they [the guards] asked him again, "Aren't you one of his disciples?" "I am not," he said. 26 But one of the household servants 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. 28 Jesus 'trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn't go in themselves because it would defile them, and they wouldn't be allowed to celebrate the Passover feast. 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 laws," 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. 33 Then Pilate went back inside 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 asked. "Your own people and their leading priests brought you here. Why? What have you done?" 36 Then Jesus answered, "I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world." 37 Pilate replied, "You are a king then?" "You say that I am a king, and you are right," Jesus said. "I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. 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 someone from prison each year at Passover. So if you want me to, I'll release the King of the Jews." 40 But they shouted back, "No! Not this man, but Barabbas!" (Barabbas was a criminal.) 19:1 THEN Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead- tipped whip. 2 The soldiers made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his head, and they put a royal purple robe on him. 3 "Hail! King of the Jews!" they mocked, and they hit him with their fists. 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, "Here is the man!" 6 When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, "Crucify! Crucify!" "You crucify him," Pilate said. "I find him not guilty." 7 The Jewish leaders replied, "By our laws 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 again and asked him, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer. 10 "You won't talk to me?" Pilate demanded. "Don't you realize that I have the power to release you or to 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 brought me to you has the greater sin." 12 Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders told him, "If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar. 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 of the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, "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 gave Jesus to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led him away. 17 Carrying the cross by himself, Jesus went to the place called Skull Hill (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him. There were two others crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 And Pilate posted a sign over him that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, 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 said to Pilate, "Change it from `The King of the Jews 'to `He said, I am King of the Jews.'" 22 Pilate replied, "What I have written, I have written. It stays exactly as it is."


I hate those who are undecided about you,
but my choice is clear-- I love your law.
114 You are my refuge and my shield;
your word is my only source of hope.
115 Get out of my life, you evil- minded people,
for I intend to obey the commands of my God.
116 LORD, sustain me as you promised, that I may live!
Do not let my hope be crushed.
117 Sustain me, and I will be saved;
then I will meditate on your principles continually.
118 But you have rejected all who stray from your principles.
They are only fooling themselves.
119 All the wicked of the earth are the scum you skim off;
no wonder I love to obey your decrees!
120 I tremble in fear of you;
I fear your judgments.
121 Don't leave me to the mercy of my enemies,
for I have done what is just and right.
122 Please guarantee a blessing for me.
Don't let those who are arrogant oppress me!
123 My eyes strain to see your deliverance,
to see the truth of your promise fulfilled.
124 I am your servant;
deal with me in unfailing love,
and teach me your principles.
125 Give discernment to me, your servant;
then I will understand your decrees.
126 LORD, it is time for you to act,
for these evil people have broken your law.
127 Truly, I love your commands
more than gold, even the finest gold.
128 Truly, each of your commandments is right.
That is why I hate every false way.


The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly. The LORD demands fairness in every business deal; he sets the standard

Reading through the Word.....Day 147

2 SAMUEL 14:1- 15:22
JOHN 18:1- 24
PSALM 119:97- 112
PROVERBS 16:8- 9


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 bathe or wear any perfume. Act like a woman who has been in deep sorrow 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 approached the king, she fell with her face down to the floor in front of him and cried out, "O king! Help me!" 5 "What's the trouble?" the king asked. "I am a widow," she replied. 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. 'But if I do that, I will have no one 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," she replied. "And I'll take the responsibility if you are criticized for helping me like this." 10 "Don't worry about that!" the king said. "If anyone objects, bring them to me. I can assure you they will never complain 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 let me ask one more thing of you!" she said. "Go ahead," he urged. "Speak!" 13 She replied, "Why don't you do as much for all 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. That is why God tries to bring us back when we have been separated from him. He does not sweep away the lives of those he cares about-- and neither should you! 15" But I have come to plead with you for my son because my life and my son's life have been threatened. I said to myself, `Perhaps the king will listen to me 16 and rescue us from those who would cut us off from God's people. 17 Yes, the king will give us peace of mind again.' I know that you are like an angel of God and can discern good from evil. May the LORD your God be with you. "18" I want to know one thing, "the king replied." Yes, my lord? "she asked. 19" Did Joab send you here? "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 fell to the ground before the king and blessed him and said," At last I know that I have gained your approval, 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. 25 Now no one in Israel was as handsome as Absalom. From head to foot, he was the perfect specimen of a man. 26 He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was too heavy to carry around. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds! 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 without getting 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 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 execute me. "33 So Joab told the king what Absalom had said. Then at last David summoned his estranged son, and Absalom came and bowed low before the king, and David kissed him. 15:1 AFTER this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty footmen 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 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 people could bring their problems to me, and I would give them justice! "5 And when people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn't let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and embraced them. 6 So in this way, Absalom stole the hearts of all the people of Israel. 7 After four years, Absalom said to the king," Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the LORD in fulfillment of a vow I made to him. 8 For while I was at Geshur, I promised to sacrifice to him in Hebron 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 every part of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king." As soon as you hear the trumpets, "his message read," you will know that Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron. "11 He took two hundred men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions. 12 While he 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. 13 A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell King 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 he 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 his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to keep the palace in order. 17 The king and his people set out on foot, and they paused at the edge of the city 18 to let David's troops move past to lead the way. There were six hundred Gittites who had come with David from Gath, along with the king's bodyguard. 19 Then the king turned to Ittai, the captain of the Gittites, and asked," Why are you coming with us? Go on back with your men to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. 20 You arrived only yesterday, and now should I force you to wander with us? I don't even know where we will go. Go on back and take your troops with you, and may the LORD show you his unfailing love and faithfulness. "21 But Ittai said to the king," I vow by the LORD and by your own life that I will go wherever you go, no matter what happens-- whether it means life or death. "22 David replied," All right, come with us. "So Ittai and his six hundred men and their families went along.


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 gone there many times with his disciples. 3 The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a battalion 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. Stepping forward to meet them, he asked," Whom are you looking for? "5" Jesus of Nazareth, "they replied." I am he, "Jesus said. Judas was standing there with them when Jesus identified himself. 6 And as he said," I am he, "they all fell backward to the ground! 7 Once more he asked them," Whom are you searching for? "And again they replied," Jesus of Nazareth. "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 have not lost a single one of those you gave me. "10 Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant. 11 But Jesus said to Peter," Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup the Father has given me? "12 So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they took him to Annas, the father- in- law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders," Better that one should die for all. "15 Simon Peter followed along behind, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the courtyard with Jesus. 16 Peter stood outside the gate. Then the other disciple spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. 17 The woman asked Peter," Aren't you one of Jesus 'disciples? "" No, "he said," I am not. "18 The guards and the household servants were standing around a charcoal fire they had made because it was cold. And Peter stood there with them, warming himself. 19 Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. 20 Jesus replied," What I teach is widely known, because I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple. I have been heard by people everywhere, and I teach nothing in private that I have not said in public. 21 Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said. "22 One of the Temple guards standing there struck Jesus on the face." Is that the way to answer the high priest? "he demanded. 23 Jesus replied," If I said anything wrong, you must give evidence for it. Should you hit a man for telling the truth? "24 Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.


Oh, how I love your law!
I think about it all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for your commands are my constant guide.
99 Yes, I have more insight than my teachers,
for I am always thinking of your decrees.
100 I am even wiser than my elders,
for I have kept your commandments.
101 I have refused to walk on any path of evil,
that I may remain obedient to your word.
102 I haven't turned away from your laws,
for you have taught me well.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste;
they are sweeter than honey.
104 Your commandments give me understanding;
no wonder I hate every false way of life.
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet
and a light for my path.
106 I've promised it once, and I'll promise again:
I will obey your wonderful laws.
107 I have suffered much, O LORD;
restore my life again, just as you promised.
108 LORD, accept my grateful thanks
and teach me your laws.
109 My life constantly hangs in the balance,
but I will not stop obeying your law.
110 The wicked have set their traps for me along your path,
but I will not turn from your commandments.
111 Your decrees are my treasure;
they are truly my heart's delight.
112 I am determined to keep your principles,
even forever, to the very end.


It is better to be poor and godly than rich and dishonest. We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps

Reading through the Word.....Day 146

2 SAMUEL 13:1- 39
JOHN 17:1- 26
PSALM 119:81- 96
PROVERBS 16:6- 7


David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her. 2 Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible that he could ever fulfill his love for her. 3 Now Amnon had a very crafty friend-- his cousin Jonadab. He was the son of David's brother Shimea. 4 One day Jonadab said to Amnon, "What's the trouble? Why should the son of a king look so dejected morning after morning?" So Amnon told him, "I am in love with Tamar, Absalom's sister." 5 "Well," Jonadab said, "I'll tell you what to do. Go back to bed and pretend you are sick. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let Tamar come and prepare some food for you. Tell him you'll feel better if she feeds you." 6 So Amnon pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, "Please let Tamar come to take care of me and cook something for me to eat." 7 So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon's house to prepare some food for him. 8 When Tamar arrived at Amnon's house, she went to the room where he was lying down so he could watch her mix some dough. Then she baked some special bread for him. 9 But when she set the serving tray before him, he refused to eat. "Everyone get out of here," Amnon told his servants. So they all left. 10 Then he said to Tamar, "Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here." So Tamar took it to him. 11 But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, "Come to bed with me, my darling sister." 12 "No, my brother!" she cried. "Don't be foolish! Don't do this to me! You know what a serious crime it is to do such a thing in Israel. 13 Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me." 14 But Amnon wouldn't listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. 15 Then suddenly Amnon's love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. "Get out of here!" he snarled at her. 16 "No, no!" Tamar cried. "To reject me now is a greater wrong than what you have already done to me." But Amnon wouldn't listen to her. 17 He shouted for his servant and demanded, "Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!" 18 So the servant put her out. She was wearing a long, beautiful robe, as was the custom in those days for the king's virgin daughters. 19 But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying. 20 Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, "Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, don't be so upset. Since he's your brother anyway, don't worry about it." So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in Absalom's house. 21 When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry. 22 And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about it, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister. 23 Two years later, when Absalom's sheep were being sheared at Baal- hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king's sons to come to a feast. 24 He went to the king and said, "My sheep- shearers are now at work. Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?" 25 The king replied, "No, my son. If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you." Absalom pressed him, but the king wouldn't come, though he sent his thanks. 26 "Well, then," Absalom said, "if you can't come, how about sending my brother Amnon instead?" "Why Amnon?" the king asked. 27 But Absalom kept on pressing the king until he finally agreed to let all his sons attend, including Amnon. 28 Absalom told his men, "Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don't be afraid. I'm the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!" 29 So at Absalom's signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled. 30 As they were on the way back to Jerusalem, this report reached David:"Absalom has killed all your sons; not one is left alive!" 31 The king jumped up, tore his robe, and fell prostrate on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow. 32 But just then Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimea, arrived and said, "No, not all your sons have been killed! It was only Amnon! Absalom has been plotting this ever since Amnon raped his sister Tamar. 33 No, your sons aren't all dead! It was only Amnon." 34 Meanwhile Absalom escaped. Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming toward the city from the west. He ran to tell the king, "I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill." 35 "Look!" Jonadab told the king. "There they are now! Your sons are coming, just as I said." 36 They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and his officials wept bitterly with them. 37 And David mourned many days for his son Amnon. Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. 38 He stayed there in Geshur for three years. 39 And David, now reconciled to Amnon's death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom.


When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life-- to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. 5 And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. 6" I have told these men about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me. Actually, they were always yours, and you gave them to me; and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the words you gave me; and they accepted them and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me. 9 "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me, so they are my glory! 11 Now I am departing the world; I am leaving them behind and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them and care for them-- all those you have given me-- so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I have kept them safe. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. 13" And now I am coming to you. I have told them many things while I was with them so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not. 15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They are not part of this world any more than I am. 17 Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself entirely to you so they also might be entirely yours. 20 "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. 21 My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father-- that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. 22" I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are-- 23 I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you've given me to be with me, so they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me even before the world began! 25 "O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you. I will do this so that your love for me may be in them and I in them."


I faint with longing for your salvation;
but I have put my hope in your word.
82 My eyes are straining to see your promises come true.
When will you comfort me?
83 I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, exhausted with waiting.
But I cling to your principles and obey them.
84 How long must I wait?
When will you punish those who persecute me?
85 These arrogant people who hate your law
have dug deep pits for me to fall into.
86 All your commands are trustworthy.
Protect me from those who hunt me down without cause.
87 They almost finished me off,
but I refused to abandon your commandments.
88 In your unfailing love, spare my life;
then I can continue to obey your decrees.
89 Forever, O LORD,
your word stands firm in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness extends to every generation,
as enduring as the earth you created.
91 Your laws remain true today,
for everything serves your plans.
92 If your law hadn't sustained me with joy,
I would have died in my misery.
93 I will never forget your commandments,
for you have used them to restore my joy and health.
94 I am yours; save me!
For I have applied myself to obey your commandments.
95 Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me,
I will quietly keep my mind on your decrees.
96 Even perfection has its limits,
but your commands have no limit.


Unfailing love and faithfulness cover sin; evil is avoided by fear of the LORD. When the ways of people please the LORD, he makes even their enemies live at peace with them

Reading through the Word.....Day 145

2 SAMUEL 12:1- 31
JOHN 16:1- 33
PSALM 119:65- 80
PROVERBS 16:4- 5


So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story:"There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 2 The rich man owned many sheep and cattle. 3 The poor man owned nothing but a little lamb he had worked hard to buy. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing a lamb from his own flocks for food, he took the poor man's lamb and killed it and served it to his guest." 5 David was furious. "As surely as the LORD lives," he vowed, "any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! 6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity." 7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are that man! The LORD, the God of Israel, says, `I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. 8 I gave you his house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. 9 Why, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah and stolen his wife. 10 From this time on, the sword will be a constant threat to your family, because you have despised me by taking Uriah's wife to be your own. 11" `Because of what you have done, I, the LORD, will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man, and he will go to bed with them in public view. 12 You did it secretly, but I will do this to you openly in the sight of all Israel. '"13 Then David confessed to Nathan," I have sinned against the LORD. "Nathan replied," Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won't die for this sin. 14 But you have given the enemies of the LORD great opportunity to despise and blaspheme him, so your child will die. "15 After Nathan returned to his home, the LORD made Bathsheba's baby deathly ill. 16 David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground. 17 The leaders of the nation pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused. 18 Then on the seventh day the baby died. David's advisers were afraid to tell him." He was so broken up about the baby being sick, "they said." What will he do to himself when we tell him the child is dead? "19 But when David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened." Is the baby dead? "he asked." Yes, "they replied. 20 Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. Then he went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the LORD. After that, he returned to the palace and ate. 21 His advisers were amazed." We don't understand you, "they told him." While the baby was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the baby is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again. "22 David replied," I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, `Perhaps the LORD will be gracious to me and let the child live.' 23 But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me. "24 Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved the child 25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet that his name should be Jedidiah--" beloved of the LORD "-- because the LORD loved him. 26 Meanwhile, Joab and the Israelite army were successfully ending their siege of Rabbah, the capital of Ammon. 27 Joab sent messengers to tell David," I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply. 28 Now bring the rest of the army and finish the job, so you will get credit for the victory instead of me. "29 So David led the rest of his army to Rabbah and captured it. 30 David removed the crown from the king's head, and it was placed on David's own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and it weighed about seventy- five pounds. David took a vast amount of plunder from the city. 31 He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, picks, and axes, and to work in the brick kilns. That is how he dealt with the people of all the Ammonite cities. Then David and his army returned to Jerusalem.


" I [Jesus] have told you these things so that you won't fall away. 2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service. 3 This is because they have never known the Father or me. 4 Yes, I'm telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember I warned you. I didn't tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer. 5 "But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and none of you has asked me where I am going. 6 Instead, you are very sad. 7 But it is actually best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Counselor won't come. If I do go away, he will come because I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world's sin is unbelief in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the prince of this world has already been judged. 12" Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me. 16 "In just a little while I will be gone, and you won't see me anymore. Then, just a little while after that, you will see me again." 17 The disciples asked each other, "What does he mean when he says, `You won't see me, and then you will see me '? And what does he mean when he says, `I am going to the Father'? 18 And what does he mean by `a little while '? We don't understand." 19 Jesus realized they wanted to ask him, so he said, "Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in just a little while I will be gone, and you won't see me anymore. Then, just a little while after that, you will see me again. 20 Truly, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy when you see me again. 21 It will be like a woman experiencing the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives place to joy because she has brought a new person into the world. 22 You have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won't need to ask me for anything. The truth is, you can go directly to the Father and ask him, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. 25" I have spoken of these matters in parables, but the time will come when this will not be necessary, and I will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26 Then you will ask in my name. I'm not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. 28 Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and I will leave the world and return to the Father. "29 Then his disciples said," At last you are speaking plainly and not in parables. 30 Now we understand that you know everything and don't need anyone to tell you anything. From this we believe that you came from God. "31 Jesus asked," Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming-- in fact, it is already here-- when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. "


You have done many good things for me, LORD,
just as you promised.
66 I believe in your commands;
now teach me good judgment and knowledge.
67 I used to wander off until you disciplined me;
but now I closely follow your word.
68 You are good and do only good;
teach me your principles.
69 Arrogant people have made up lies about me,
but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are dull and stupid,
but I delight in your law.
71 The suffering you sent was good for me,
for it taught me to pay attention to your principles.
72 Your law is more valuable to me
than millions in gold and silver!
73 You made me; you created me.
Now give me the sense to follow your commands.
74 May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy,
for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, O LORD, that your decisions are fair;
you disciplined me because I needed it.
76 Now let your unfailing love comfort me,
just as you promised me, your servant.
77 Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live,
for your law is my delight.
78 Bring disgrace upon the arrogant people who lied about me;
meanwhile, I will concentrate on your commandments.
79 Let me be reconciled
with all who fear you and know your decrees.
80 May I be blameless in keeping your principles;
then I will never have to be ashamed.


The LORD has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for punishment. The LORD despises pride; be assured that the proud will be punished

Reading through the Word.....Day 144

2 SAMUEL 9:1- 11:27
JOHN 15:1- 27
PSALM 119:49- 64
PROVERBS 16:1- 3


One day David began wondering if anyone in Saul's family was still alive, for he had promised Jonathan that he would show kindness to them. 2 He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul's servants." Are you Ziba? "the king asked." Yes sir, I am, "Ziba replied. 3 The king then asked him," Is anyone still alive from Saul's family? If so, I want to show God's kindness to them in any way I can. "Ziba replied," Yes, one of Jonathan's sons is still alive, but he is crippled. "4" Where is he? "the king asked." In Lo- debar, "Ziba told him," at the home of Makir son of Ammiel. "5 So David sent for him and brought him from Makir's home. 6 His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low in great fear and said," I am your servant. "7 But David said," Don't be afraid! I've asked you to come so that I can be kind to you because of my vow to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the land that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you may live here with me at the palace! "8 Mephibosheth fell to the ground before the king." Should the king show such kindness to a dead dog like me? "he exclaimed. 9 Then the king summoned Saul's servant Ziba and said," I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for his family. But Mephibosheth will live here at the palace with me. "Ziba, who had fifteen sons and twenty servants, replied, 11" Yes, my lord; I will do all that you have commanded. "And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly with David, as though he were one of his own sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. And from then on, all the members of Ziba's household were Mephibosheth's servants. 13 And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, moved to Jerusalem to live at the palace. 10:1 SOME time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king. 2 David said," I am going to show complete loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always completely loyal to me. "So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father's death. But when David's ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, 3 Hanun's advisers said to their master," Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the city so that they can come in and conquer it! "4 So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame. 5 When David heard what had happened, he sent messengers to tell the men to stay at Jericho until their beards grew out, for they were very embarrassed by their appearance. 6 Now the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, so they hired twenty thousand Aramean mercenaries from the lands of Beth- rehob and Zobah, one thousand from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand from the land of Tob. 7 When David heard about this, he sent Joab and the entire Israelite army to fight them. 8 The Ammonite troops drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city gates, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah positioned themselves to fight in the open fields. 9 When Joab saw that he would have to fight on two fronts, he chose the best troops in his army. He placed them under his personal command and led them out to fight the Arameans in the fields. 10 He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites. 11" If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me, "Joab told his brother." And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you. 12 Be courageous! Let us fight bravely to save our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD's will be done. "13 When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away. 14 And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. After the battle was over, Joab returned to Jerusalem. 15 The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel. So when they regrouped, 16 they were joined by additional Aramean troops summoned by Hadadezer from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops arrived at Helam under the command of Shobach, the commander of all Hadadezer's forces. 17 When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and led the army to Helam. The Arameans positioned themselves there in battle formation and then attacked David. 18 But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David's forces killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen, including Shobach, the commander of their army. 19 When Hadadezer and his Aramean allies realized they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to them and became their subjects. After that, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites. 11:1 THE following spring, the time of year when kings go to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to destroy the Ammonites. In the process they laid siege to the city of Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem. 2 Late one afternoon David got out of bed after taking a nap and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 3 He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told," She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. "4 Then David sent for her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. (She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period.) Then she returned home. 5 Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent a message to inform David. 6 So David sent word to Joab:" Send me Uriah the Hittite. "7 When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing. 8 Then he told Uriah," Go on home and relax. "David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. 9 But Uriah wouldn't go home. He stayed that night at the palace entrance with some of the king's other servants. 10 When David heard what Uriah had done, he summoned him and asked," What's the matter with you? Why didn't you go home last night after being away for so long? "11 Uriah replied," The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and his officers are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I will never be guilty of acting like that. "12" Well, stay here tonight, "David told him," and tomorrow you may return to the army. "So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn't get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance. 14 So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. 15 The letter instructed Joab," Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed. "16 So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy's strongest men were fighting. 17 And Uriah was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers. 18 Then Joab sent a battle report to David. 19 He told his messenger," Report all the news of the battle to the king. 20 But he might get angry and ask, `Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn't they know there would be shooting from the walls? 21 Wasn't Gideon's son Abimelech killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him?' Then tell him, `Uriah the Hittite was killed, too. '"22 So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David. 23" The enemy came out against us, "he said." And as we chased them back to the city gates, 24 the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of our men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite. "25" Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged, "David said." The sword kills one as well as another! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city! "26 When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the LORD was very displeased with what David had done.


" I [Jesus] am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. 5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! 8 My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father. 9" I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. 13 And here is how to measure it-- the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. 14 You are my friends if you obey me. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn't confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 I command you to love each other. 18 "When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. 19 The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don't. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. 20 Do you remember what I told you? `A servant is not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you! 21 The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don't know God who sent me. 22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Anyone who hates me hates my Father, too. 24 If I hadn't done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be counted guilty. But as it is, they saw all that I did and yet hated both of us-- me and my Father. 25 This has fulfilled what the Scriptures said:`They hated me without cause. '26" But I will send you the Counselor-- the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me. 27 And you must also tell others about me because you have been with me from the beginning. "


Remember your promise to me,
for it is my only hope.
50 Your promise revives me;
it comforts me in all my troubles.
51 The proud hold me in utter contempt,
but I do not turn away from your law.
52 I meditate on your age- old laws;
O LORD, they comfort me.
53 I am furious with the wicked,
those who reject your law.
54 Your principles have been the music of my life
throughout the years of my pilgrimage.
55 I reflect at night on who you are, O LORD,
and I obey your law because of this.
56 This is my happy way of life:
obeying your commandments.
57 LORD, you are mine!
I promise to obey your words!
58 With all my heart I want your blessings.
Be merciful just as you promised.
59 I pondered the direction of my life,
and I turned to follow your statutes.
60 I will hurry, without lingering,
to obey your commands.
61 Evil people try to drag me into sin,
but I am firmly anchored to your law.
62 At midnight I rise to thank you
for your just laws.
63 Anyone who fears you is my friend--
anyone who obeys your commandments.
64 O LORD, the earth is full of your unfailing love;
teach me your principles.


We can gather our thoughts, but the LORD gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed