¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food^(A) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.^(B)

3 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time.^(A) David grew stronger and stronger,^(B) while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.^(C)

Abner Goes Over to David

⁶ During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner^(J) had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. ⁷ Now Saul had had a concubine^(K) named Rizpah^(L) daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”

⁸ Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, “Am I a dog’s head^(M)—on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman! ⁹ May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised^(N) him on oath ¹⁰ and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”^{(O) 11} Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

¹² Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”

¹³ “Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”^{(P) 14} Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal,^(Q) whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

¹⁵ So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband^(R) Paltiel^(S) son of Laish. ¹⁶ Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim.^(T) Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.

¹⁷ Abner conferred with the elders^(U) of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. ¹⁸ Now do it! For the Lord promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines^(V) and from the hand of all their enemies.^(W)’”

¹⁹ Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin^(X) wanted to do. ²⁰ When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast^(Y) for him and his men. ²¹ Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant^(Z) with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.”^(AA) So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Joab Murders Abner

²² Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. ²³ When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.

²⁴ So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! ²⁵ You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”

²⁶ Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it. ²⁷ Now when Abner^(AB) returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him^(AC) in the stomach, and he died.^(AD)

²⁸ Later, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent^(AE) before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. ²⁹ May his blood^(AF) fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family!^(AG) May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore^(AH) or leprosy^[a] or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.”

³⁰ (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)

³¹ Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth^(AI) and walk in mourning^(AJ) in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier. ³² They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept^(AK) aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.

³³ The king sang this lament^(AL) for Abner:

And all the people wept over him again.

³⁵ Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely,^(AN) if I taste bread^(AO) or anything else before the sun sets!”

³⁶ All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. ³⁷ So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part^(AP) in the murder of Abner son of Ner.

³⁸ Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen^(AQ) in Israel this day? ³⁹ And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah^(AR) are too strong^(AS) for me.^(AT) May the Lord repay^(AU) the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”

Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

Jerusalem’s Fall Explained

²¹ In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped^(A) from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!^(B)” ²² Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the Lord was on me,^(C) and he opened my mouth^(D) before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.^(E)

²³ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴ “Son of man, the people living in those ruins^(F) in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many;^(G) surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’^{(H) 25} Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you eat^(I) meat with the blood^(J) still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land?^{(K) 26} You rely on your sword, you do detestable things,^(L) and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife.^(M) Should you then possess the land?’

²⁷ “Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague.^{(N) 28} I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains^(O) of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them.^{(P) 29} Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolate^(Q) waste because of all the detestable things they have done.’^(R)

³⁰ “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ ³¹ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before^(S) you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy^(T) for unjust gain.^{(U) 32} Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs^(V) with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.^(W)

³³ “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.^(X)”

9 There is no need^(A) for me to write to you about this service^(B) to the Lord’s people.^{(C) 2} For I know your eagerness to help,^(D) and I have been boasting^(E) about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year^(F) you in Achaia^(G) were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. ³ But I am sending the brothers^(H) in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.^{(I) 4} For if any Macedonians^(J) come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. ⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers^(K) to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift,^(L) not as one grudgingly given.^(M)

Generosity Encouraged

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.^{(N) 7} Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,^(O) not reluctantly or under compulsion,^(P) for God loves a cheerful giver.^{(Q) 8} And God is able^(R) to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,^(S) you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food^(V) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.^{(W) 11} You will be enriched^(X) in every way so that you can be generous^(Y) on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.^(Z)

¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs^(AA) of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.^{(AB) 13} Because of the service^(AC) by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God^(AD) for the obedience that accompanies your confession^(AE) of the gospel of Christ,^(AF) and for your generosity^(AG) in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God^(AH) for his indescribable gift!^(AI)