The Death of Saul and His Sons

10 The Philistines^(A) fought against Israel, and Israel’s men fled from them. Many were killed on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. ³ When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers spotted him and severely wounded him. ⁴ Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me.” But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died. ⁶ So Saul and his three sons died—his whole house died together.

⁷ When all the men of Israel in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them.

⁸ The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news to their idols and the people. ¹⁰ Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his skull in the temple of Dagon.^(B)

¹¹ When all Jabesh-gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their brave men set out and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak^[a] in Jabesh^(C) and fasted seven days.

¹³ Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord’s word.^(D) He even consulted a medium for guidance,^{(E) 14} but he did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.^(F)

David’s Anointing as King

11 All Israel^(G) came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.^{[b] 2} Even previously when Saul was king, you were leading Israel out to battle and bringing us back. The Lord your God also said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be ruler over my people Israel.’”

³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. David made a covenant with them at Hebron in the Lord’s presence, and they anointed David king over Israel, in keeping with the Lord’s word through Samuel.^(H)

David’s Capture of Jerusalem

⁴ David^(I) and all Israel marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus); the Jebusites who inhabited the land were there.^{(J) 5} The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will never get in here.” Yet David did capture the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.

⁶ David said, “Whoever is the first to kill a Jebusite will become chief commander.” Joab^(K) son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became the chief.

⁷ Then David took up residence in the stronghold; therefore, it was called the city of David. ⁸ He built up the city all the way around, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding parts, and Joab restored the rest of the city. ⁹ David steadily grew more powerful,^(L) and the Lord of Armies was with him.

Exploits of David’s Warriors

¹⁰ The following were the chiefs of David’s warriors who, together with all Israel, strongly supported him in his reign to make him king according to the Lord’s word about Israel.^{(M) 11} This^(N) is the list of David’s warriors:

Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief^(O) of the Thirty;^[c] he wielded his spear against three hundred and killed them at one time.

¹² After him, Eleazar son of Dodo^(P) the Ahohite was one of the three warriors. ¹³ He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines had gathered there for battle. There was a portion of a field full of barley, where the troops had fled from the Philistines.^{(Q) 14} But Eleazar and David^[d] took their stand in the middle of the field and defended it. They killed the Philistines, and the Lord gave them a great victory.

¹⁵ Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam,^(R) while the Philistine army was encamped in Rephaim Valley.^{(S) 16} At that time David was in the stronghold,^(T) and a Philistine garrison^(U) was at Bethlehem. ¹⁷ David was extremely thirsty^[e] and said, “If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁸ So the Three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord. ¹⁹ David said, “I would never do such a thing in the presence of my God! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” For they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.

²⁰ Abishai,^(V) Joab’s brother, was the leader of the Three.^[f] He raised his spear against three hundred men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three. ²¹ He was more honored than the Three and became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.

²² Benaiah son of Jehoiada^(W) was the son of a brave man^[g] from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. Benaiah killed two sons of Ariel of Moab,^[h] and he went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ²³ He also killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall.^[i] Even though the Egyptian had a spear in his hand like a weaver’s beam,^(X) Benaiah went down to him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and then killed him with his own spear. ²⁴ These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who had a reputation among the three warriors. ²⁵ He was the most honored of the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

²⁶ The best soldiers^(Y) were

The Way to the Father

14 “Don’t let your heart be troubled.^(A) Believe^[a] in God; ^(B) believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going ^(C) to prepare a place for you? ³ If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again^(D) and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.^{(E) 4} You know the way to where I am going.”^[b](F)

⁵ “Lord,” Thomas^(G) said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am^(H) the way,^(I) the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will also know^[c] my Father.^(J) From now on you do know him^(K) and have seen him.”

Jesus Reveals the Father

⁸ “Lord,” said Philip,^(L) “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father.^(M) How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?^(N) The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own.^(O) The Father who lives in me does his works.^{(P) 11} Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe^[d] because of the works themselves.^(Q)

Praying in Jesus’s Name

¹² “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me^(R) will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these,^(S) because I am going to the Father.^{(T) 13} Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified^(U) in the Son.^{(V) 14} If you ask me^[e] anything in my name,^(W) I will do it.^[f](X)

Another Counselor Promised

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep^[g] my commands.^{(Y) 16} And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor^[h](Z) to be with you forever. ¹⁷ He is the Spirit^(AA) of truth.^(AB) The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be^[i] in you.^(AC)

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. ¹⁹ In a little while the world will no longer see me,^(AD) but you will see me.^(AE) Because I live, you will live^(AF) too. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father,^(AG) you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.^(AH) And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father.^(AI) I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.”

²² Judas^(AJ) (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” ^(AK)

²³ Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.^{(AL) 24} The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.^(AM)

²⁵ “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. ²⁶ But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit,^(AN) whom the Father will send^(AO) in my name, will teach you all things^(AP) and remind you of everything I have told you.^(AQ)

Jesus’s Gift of Peace

²⁷ “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.^{(AR) 28} You have heard me tell you, ‘I am going away^(AS) and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father,^(AT) because the Father is greater than I.^{(AU) 29} I have told you now before it happens^(AV) so that when it does happen you may believe. ³⁰ I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world^(AW) is coming. He has no power over me.^{[j](AX) 31} On the contrary, so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do as the Father commanded me.

“Get up; let’s leave this place.

BOOK III

(Psalms 73–89)

Psalm 73

God’s Ways Vindicated

A psalm of Asaph.^(A)