Psalm 46^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.^[b] A song.

Absalom’s Death

²⁴ David went to Mahanaim,^(A) and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. ²⁵ Absalom had appointed Amasa^(B) over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether,^[a](C) an Ishmaelite^[b] who had married Abigail,^[c] the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab. ²⁶ The Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

²⁷ When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash^(D) from Rabbah^(E) of the Ammonites, and Makir^(F) son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai^(G) the Gileadite^(H) from Rogelim ²⁸ brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils,^{[d] 29} honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat.^(I) For they said, “The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.^(J)”

18 David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ² David sent out his troops,^(K) a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai^(L) son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai^(M) the Gittite. The king told the troops, “I myself will surely march out with you.”

³ But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten^(N) thousand of us.^[e] It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”^(O)

⁴ The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.”

So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands. ⁵ The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.

⁶ David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest^(P) of Ephraim. ⁷ There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men. ⁸ The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

³⁰ The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews.^(A) So the next day he released him^(B) and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin^(C) to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin^(D) and said, “My brothers,^(E) I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience^(F) to this day.” ² At this the high priest Ananias^(G) ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.^{(H) 3} Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!^(I) You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”^(J)

⁴ Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

⁵ Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’^[a]”^(K)

⁶ Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees^(L) and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers,^(M) I am a Pharisee,^(N) descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”^{(O) 7} When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection,^(P) and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

⁹ There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees^(Q) stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,”^(R) they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”^{(S) 10} The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.^(T)

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!^(U) As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”^(V)

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts^(A)(B)(C)

¹² The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.^{(D) 14} Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

¹⁵ On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. ¹⁷ And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’^[a]?^(E) But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’^[b]”^(F)

¹⁸ The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him,^(G) because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.^(H)

¹⁹ When evening came, Jesus and his disciples^[c] went out of the city.^(I)

²⁰ In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi,^(J) look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly^[d] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.^{(K) 24} Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.^{(L) 25} And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”^{(M) [26] [e]}