Jonathan and David

18 Now it came about, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that ^[a](A)Jonathan committed himself to David, and ^(B)Jonathan loved him as himself. ² And Saul took him that day and ^(C)did not let him return to his father’s house. ³ Then ^(D)Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ^4 (E)Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his military gear, including his sword, his bow, and his belt. ⁵ And David went into battle wherever Saul sent him, and always ^[b]achieved success; so Saul put him in charge of the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

⁶ Now it happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that ^(F)the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with other ^[c]musical instruments. ⁷ The women ^(G)sang as they ^[d]played, and said,

⁸ Then Saul became very angry, for this lyric ^[e]displeased him; and he said, “They have given David credit for ten thousands, but to me they have given credit for only thousands! Now what more can he have but the ^(J)kingdom?” ⁹ And Saul eyed David with suspicion from that day on.

Saul Turns against David

¹⁰ Now it came about on the next day that ^(K)an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and ^(L)he raved in the midst of the house while David was playing the harp with his hand, ^[f](M)as usual; and ^[g](N)a spear was in Saul’s hand. ¹¹ Then ^(O)Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will ^[h]pin David to the wall.” But David ^[i]escaped from his presence, twice.

¹² Now ^(P)Saul was afraid of David, ^(Q)because the Lord was with him but ^(R)had left Saul. ¹³ So Saul removed him from ^[j]his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and ^(S)he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴ David was ^[k]successful in all his ways, for ^(T)the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw that he was ^[l]very successful, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But ^(U)all Israel and Judah loved David, for he would go out to battle and ^[m]return ^[n]before them.

Josiah Succeeds Amon

22 ^(A)Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of ^(B)Bozkath. ² He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked ^[a]entirely in the way of his father David, and did not ^(C)turn aside to the right or to the left.

³ Now ^(D)in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying, ⁴ “^(E)Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, and have him ^[b]count all the money brought into the house of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. ^5 (F)And have them hand it over to the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and have them give it to the workmen who are in the house of the Lord to repair the ^[c]damage to the house: ⁶ to the carpenters, the builders, the masons, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the house. ⁷ However, ^(G)no accounting shall be made with them for the money handed over to them, because they deal honestly.”

The Lost Book

⁸ Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “^(H)I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it. ⁹ Then Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought back word to the king and said, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have handed it over to the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” ¹⁰ Moreover, Shaphan the scribe informed the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.

¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, ^(I)he tore his clothes. ¹² Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, ^(J)Ahikam the son of Shaphan, ^[d](K)Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, ¹³ “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for ^(L)the wrath of the Lord that burns against us is great, because our fathers did not listen to the words of this book, to act in accordance with everything that is written regarding us.”

Huldah Predicts

¹⁴ So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of ^[e](M)Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (and she lived in Jerusalem in the ^(N)Second Quarter); and they spoke to her. ¹⁵ Then she said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, ¹⁶ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to ^(O)bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. ^17 (P)Since they have abandoned Me and have burned incense to other gods so that they may provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched.’” ¹⁸ But to ^(Q)the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, this is what you shall say to him: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Regarding the words which you have heard, ^19 (R)since your heart was tender and ^(S)you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become ^(T)an object of horror and a ^(U)curse, and you have ^(V)torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have indeed heard you,’ declares the Lord.” ²⁰ Therefore, behold, I am going to gather you to your fathers, and ^(W)you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not look at all the devastation that I am going to bring on this place.’” So they brought back word to the king.

Healing the Beggar Who Was Unable to Walk

3 Now ^(A)Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ^[a]ninth hour, ^(B)the hour of prayer. ² And ^(C)a man who had been unable to walk from ^[b]birth was being carried, whom they ^(D)used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, ^(E)in order for him to beg for charitable gifts from those entering the temple grounds. ³ When he saw ^(F)Peter and John about to go into the temple grounds, he began asking to receive a charitable gift. ⁴ But Peter, along with John, ^(G)looked at him intently and said, “Look at us!” ⁵ And he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: ^(H)In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!” ⁷ And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. ⁸ And ^(I)leaping up, he stood and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And ^(J)all the people saw him walking and praising God; ¹⁰ and they recognized him as being the very one who used to ^(K)sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg for charitable gifts, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter’s Second Sermon

¹¹ While he was clinging to ^(L)Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the ^[c](M)portico named Solomon’s, completely astonished. ¹² But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why are you staring at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? ^13 (N)The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ^(O)the God of our fathers, has glorified His ^[d](P)servant Jesus, the one whom ^(Q)you handed over and disowned in the presence of ^(R)Pilate, when he had ^(S)decided to release Him. ¹⁴ But you disowned ^(T)the Holy and Righteous One, and ^(U)asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ but put to death the ^[e](V)Prince of life, whom ^(W)God raised from the dead, ^[f]a fact to which we are ^(X)witnesses. ¹⁶ And on the basis of faith ^(Y)in His name, it is ^[g]the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Healing the Beggar Who Was Unable to Walk

3 Now ^(A)Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ^[a]ninth hour, ^(B)the hour of prayer. ² And ^(C)a man who had been unable to walk from ^[b]birth was being carried, whom they ^(D)used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, ^(E)in order for him to beg for charitable gifts from those entering the temple grounds. ³ When he saw ^(F)Peter and John about to go into the temple grounds, he began asking to receive a charitable gift. ⁴ But Peter, along with John, ^(G)looked at him intently and said, “Look at us!” ⁵ And he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: ^(H)In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!” ⁷ And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. ⁸ And ^(I)leaping up, he stood and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And ^(J)all the people saw him walking and praising God; ¹⁰ and they recognized him as being the very one who used to ^(K)sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg for charitable gifts, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter’s Second Sermon

¹¹ While he was clinging to ^(L)Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the ^[c](M)portico named Solomon’s, completely astonished. ¹² But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why are you staring at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? ^13 (N)The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ^(O)the God of our fathers, has glorified His ^[d](P)servant Jesus, the one whom ^(Q)you handed over and disowned in the presence of ^(R)Pilate, when he had ^(S)decided to release Him. ¹⁴ But you disowned ^(T)the Holy and Righteous One, and ^(U)asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ but put to death the ^[e](V)Prince of life, whom ^(W)God raised from the dead, ^[f]a fact to which we are ^(X)witnesses. ¹⁶ And on the basis of faith ^(Y)in His name, it is ^[g]the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

¹⁵ “^(A)If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

The Holy Spirit

¹⁶ I will ask the Father, and He will give you another ^[a](B)Helper, so that He may be with you forever; ¹⁷ the Helper is ^(C)the Spirit of truth, ^(D)whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.

¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; ^(E)I am coming to you. ^19 [b](F)After a little while, ^(G)the world no longer is going to see Me, but you are going to see Me; ^(H)because I live, you also will live. ^20 (I)On that day you will know that ^(J)I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you. ^21 (K)The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and ^(L)the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will ^(M)reveal Myself to him.” ^22 (N)Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what has happened ^(O)that You are going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered and said to him, “^(P)If anyone loves Me, he will ^(Q)follow My word; and ^(R)My Father will love him, and We ^(S)will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. ²⁴ The one who does not love Me ^(T)does not follow My words; and ^(U)the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while remaining with you. ²⁶ But the ^(V)Helper, the Holy Spirit ^(W)whom the Father will send in My name, ^(X)He will teach you all things, and ^(Y)remind you of all that I said to you. ^27 (Z)Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. ^(AA)[c]Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor ^[d]fearful. ^28 (AB)You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away, and ^(AC)I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced ^[e]because ^(AD)I am going to the Father, for ^(AE)the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ And now ^(AF)I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. ³⁰ I will not speak much more with you, for ^(AG)the ruler of the world is coming, and he has ^[f]nothing in regard to Me, ³¹ but so that the world may know that I love the Father, ^[g]I do exactly as ^(AH)the Father commanded Me. Get up, ^(AI)let’s go from here.