David’s Messengers Abused

19 ^(A)Now it came about after this, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. ² Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him. ³ But the commanders among the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “^[a]Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you to search, to demolish, and to spy out the land?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. ⁵ Then certain people went and told David about the men. And he sent messengers to meet them, because the men were very humiliated. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow back, then return.”

⁶ When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent ^[b]a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and ^(B)Zobah. ⁷ So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped opposite ^(C)Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to the battle. ⁸ When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. ⁹ The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

Ammon and Aram Defeated

¹⁰ Now when Joab saw that the ^[c]battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel and lined them up against the Arameans. ¹¹ But the remainder of the people he placed ^[d]under the command of ^[e]Abshai his brother; and they lined up against the sons of Ammon. ¹² He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. ¹³ Be strong, and let’s show ourselves courageous for the benefit of our people and the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” ¹⁴ So Joab and the people who were with him advanced to battle against the Arameans, and they fled from him. ¹⁵ When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from his brother Abshai and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When the Arameans saw that they had been ^[f]defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer ^[g]leading them. ¹⁷ When it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle formation against the Arameans, they fought against him. ¹⁸ And the Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed of the Arameans seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers; and he put Shophach the commander of the army to death. ¹⁹ So when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been ^[h]defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore.

War with Philistine Giants

20 ^(D)Then it happened ^[i]in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem. And ^(E)Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it. ^2 (F)David took the crown of ^[j]their king from his head, and he found it to weigh a ^[k]talent of gold, and there was a precious stone in it; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoils of the city, a very great amount. ³ He brought out the people who were in it, ^(G)and ^[l]put them to work at saws, iron picks, and axes. And David did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

^4 (H)Now it came about after this, that war ^[m]broke out at ^[n]Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite ^[o]killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the ^[p]giants, and they were subdued. ⁵ And there was war with the Philistines again, and Elhanan the son of ^(I)Jair ^[q]killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the ^(J)shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. ⁶ Again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot; and he also was descended from the giants. ⁷ When he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, ^[r]killed him. ⁸ These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

A Living Hope and a Sure Salvation

1 ^(A)Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who reside as ^(B)strangers, ^(C)scattered throughout ^(D)Pontus, ^(E)Galatia, ^(F)Cappadocia, ^(G)Asia, and ^(H)Bithynia, ^(I)who are chosen ² according to the ^(J)foreknowledge of God the Father, ^(K)by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, ^[a]to ^(L)obey Jesus Christ and be ^(M)sprinkled with His blood: ^(N)May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

^3 (O)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ^(P)according to His great mercy ^(Q)has caused us to be born again to ^(R)a living hope through the ^(S)resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an ^(T)inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and ^(U)will not fade away, ^(V)reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are ^(W)protected by the power of God ^(X)through faith for ^(Y)a salvation ready ^(Z)to be revealed in the last time. ^6 (AA)In this you greatly rejoice, even though now ^(AB)for a little while, ^(AC)if necessary, you have been distressed by ^(AD)various ^[b]trials, ⁷ so that the ^[c](AE)proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes ^(AF)though tested by fire, ^(AG)may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at ^(AH)the revelation of Jesus Christ; ⁸ and ^(AI)though you have not seen Him, you ^(AJ)love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and ^[d]full of glory, ⁹ obtaining as ^(AK)the outcome of your faith, the salvation of ^[e]your souls.

^10 (AL)As to this salvation, the prophets who ^(AM)prophesied of the ^(AN)grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, ^11 [f]seeking to know what person or time ^(AO)the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He ^(AP)predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories ^[g]to follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who ^(AQ)preached the gospel to you by ^(AR)the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which ^(AS)angels long to ^[h]look.

¹³ Therefore, ^[i](AT)prepare your minds for action, ^[j](AU)keep sober in spirit, set your ^(AV)hope completely on the ^(AW)grace to be brought to you at ^(AX)the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As ^[k](AY)obedient children, do not ^[l](AZ)be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ^(BA)ignorance, ¹⁵ but ^[m](BB)like the Holy One who called you, ^[n](BC)be holy yourselves also ^(BD)in all your behavior; ¹⁶ because it is written: “^(BE)You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

¹⁷ If you ^(BF)address as Father the One who ^(BG)impartially ^(BH)judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves ^(BI)in fear during the time of your ^(BJ)stay on earth; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not ^[o](BK)redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your ^(BL)futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with precious ^(BM)blood, as of a ^(BN)lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. ²⁰ For He was ^(BO)foreknown before ^(BP)the foundation of the world, but has ^(BQ)appeared ^[p]in these last times ^(BR)for the sake of you ²¹ who through Him are ^(BS)believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and ^(BT)gave Him glory, so that your faith and ^(BU)hope are in God.

²² Since you have ^(BV)purified your souls ^(BW)in obedience to the truth for a ^(BX)sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently love one another from ^[q]the heart, ²³ for you have been ^(BY)born again ^(BZ)not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring ^(CA)word of God. ²⁴ For,

And this is ^(CD)the word which was ^[r]preached to you.

Nineveh Repents

3 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ² “Arise, go to ^(A)Nineveh, the great city, and ^(B)proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” ³ So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was ^[a]an ^(C)exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk. ⁴ Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he ^(D)cried out and said, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

⁵ Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a ^(E)fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. ⁶ When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his robe from himself, ^(F)covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the ^[b]dust. ⁷ And he issued a ^(G)proclamation, and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: No person, animal, herd, or flock is to taste anything. They are not to eat, or drink water. ⁸ But every person and animal must be covered with sackcloth; and people are to ^(H)call on God vehemently, and they are to ^(I)turn, each one from his evil way, and from the violence which is in their hands. ^9 (J)Who knows, God may turn and relent, and turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

¹⁰ When God saw their deeds, that they ^(K)turned from their evil way, then ^(L)God relented of the disaster which He had declared He would ^[c]bring on them. So He did not do it.

Women Support Jesus

8 Soon afterward, ^[a]Jesus began going around from one city and village to another, ^(A)proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, ² and also ^(B)some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: ^(C)Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³ and Joanna the wife of Chuza, ^(D)Herod’s ^(E)steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.

Parable of the Sower

^4 (F)Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: ⁵ “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up. ⁶ Other seed fell on rocky soil, and when it came up, it withered away because it had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. ⁸ And yet other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as much.” As He said these things, He would call out, “^(G)The one who has ears to hear, ^[b]let him hear.”

^9 (H)Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable ^[c]meant. ¹⁰ And He said, “^(I)To you it has been granted to know the ^[d]mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that ^[e](J)while seeing they may not see, and ^[f]while hearing they may not understand.

¹¹ “Now this is the parable: ^(K)the seed is the word of God. ¹² And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; ^[g]they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they ^[h]fall away. ¹⁴ And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word ^[i]with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with ^[j]perseverance.

Parable of the Lamp

¹⁶ “Now ^(L)no one lights a lamp and covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see the light. ^17 (M)For nothing is concealed that will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. ¹⁸ So take care how you listen; ^(N)for whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he ^[k]thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

^19 (O)Now His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. ²⁰ And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” ²¹ But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these ^(P)who hear the word of God and do it.”

Jesus Stills the Sea

^22 (Q)Now on one of those days ^[l]Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of ^(R)the lake.” So they launched out. ²³ But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on ^(S)the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. ²⁴ They came up to Jesus and woke Him, saying, “^(T)Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and ^(U)rebuked the wind and the surging ^[m]waves, and they stopped, and ^[n]it became calm. ²⁵ And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

The Demon-possessed Man Cured

^26 (V)Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And when He stepped out onto the land, a man from the city met Him who was possessed with demons; and he had not put on clothing for a long time and was not living in a house, but among the tombs. ²⁸ And seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and said with a loud voice, “^[o](W)What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of ^(X)the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” ²⁹ For He had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into the desert. ³⁰ And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “^(Y)Legion”; because many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they were begging Him not to command them to go away into ^(Z)the abyss.

³² Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding there on the mountain; and the demons begged Him to permit them to enter ^[p]the pigs. And He gave them permission. ³³ And the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into ^(AA)the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ Now when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported everything in the city, and in the country. ³⁵ And the people came out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down ^(AB)at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. ³⁶ Those who had seen everything reported to them how the man who had been ^(AC)demon-possessed had been ^[q]made well. ³⁷ And all the ^[r]people of the territory of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Him to leave them, because they were overwhelmed by great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. ^38 (AD)But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might ^[s]accompany Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your home and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Miracles of Healing

^40 (AE)And as Jesus was returning, the ^[t]people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. ^41 (AF)And a man named Jairus came, and he was an ^[u](AG)official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began urging Him to come to his house; ⁴² for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him.

⁴³ And a woman who had suffered a chronic flow of blood for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, ⁴⁴ came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His ^[v]cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. ⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “^(AH)Master, the ^[w]people are crowding and pressing in on You.” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that ^(AI)power had left Me.” ⁴⁷ Now when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and admitted in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ And He said to her, “Daughter, ^(AJ)your faith has ^[x]made you well; ^(AK)go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While He was still speaking, someone *came from the house of ^(AL)the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” ⁵⁰ But when Jesus heard this, He responded to him, “^(AM)Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be ^[y]made well.” ⁵¹ When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him except Peter, John, and James, and the girl’s father and mother. ⁵² Now they were all weeping and ^(AN)mourning for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but ^(AO)is asleep.” ⁵³ And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. ⁵⁴ He, however, took her by the hand and spoke ^[z]forcefully, saying, “Child, arise!” ⁵⁵ And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He ordered that something be given her to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were amazed; but He ^(AP)instructed them to tell no one what had happened.