David Defeats the Ammonites^(A)

19 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites^(B) died, and his son succeeded him as king. ² David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.

When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, ³ the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out^(C) the country and overthrow it?” ⁴ So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵ When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”

⁶ When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious^(D) to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents^[a] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim,^[b] Aram Maakah and Zobah.^{(E) 7} They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba,^(F) while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.

⁸ On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. ⁹ The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.

¹⁰ Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. ¹¹ He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai^(G) his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. ¹² Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. ¹³ Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”

¹⁴ Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

¹⁷ When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel^(H) and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. ¹⁸ But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army.

¹⁹ When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him.

So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.

The Capture of Rabbah^(I)

20 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah^(J) and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins.^{(K) 2} David took the crown from the head of their king^[c]—its weight was found to be a talent^[d] of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city ³ and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes.^(L) David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

War With the Philistines^(M)

⁴ In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer.^(N) At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites,^(O) and the Philistines were subjugated.

⁵ In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.^(P)

⁶ In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. ⁷ When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.

⁸ These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

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

To God’s elect,^(B) exiles^(C) scattered^(D) throughout the provinces of Pontus,^(E) Galatia,^(F) Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,^{(G) 2} who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge^(H) of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,^(I) to be obedient^(J) to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:^(K)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.^(L)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!^(M) In his great mercy^(N) he has given us new birth^(O) into a living hope^(P) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,^{(Q) 4} and into an inheritance^(R) that can never perish, spoil or fade.^(S) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,^{(T) 5} who through faith are shielded by God’s power^(U) until the coming of the salvation^(V) that is ready to be revealed^(W) in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice,^(X) though now for a little while^(Y) you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.^{(Z) 7} These have come so that the proven genuineness^(AA) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire^(AB)—may result in praise, glory and honor^(AC) when Jesus Christ is revealed.^{(AD) 8} Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him^(AE) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.^(AF)

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke^(AG) of the grace that was to come to you,^(AH) searched intently and with the greatest care,^{(AI) 11} trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ^(AJ) in them was pointing when he predicted^(AK) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,^(AL) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you^(AM) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.^(AN) Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,^(AO) set your hope^(AP) on the grace to be brought to you^(AQ) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.^{(AR) 14} As obedient^(AS) children, do not conform^(AT) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.^{(AU) 15} But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;^{(AV) 16} for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”^[a](AW)

¹⁷ Since you call on a Father^(AX) who judges each person’s work^(AY) impartially,^(AZ) live out your time as foreigners^(BA) here in reverent fear.^{(BB) 18} For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed^(BC) from the empty way of life^(BD) handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood^(BE) of Christ, a lamb^(BF) without blemish or defect.^{(BG) 20} He was chosen before the creation of the world,^(BH) but was revealed in these last times^(BI) for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God,^(BJ) who raised him from the dead^(BK) and glorified him,^(BL) and so your faith and hope^(BM) are in God.

²² Now that you have purified^(BN) yourselves by obeying^(BO) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,^(BP) from the heart.^{[b] 23} For you have been born again,^(BQ) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,^(BR) through the living and enduring word of God.^{(BS) 24} For,

And this is the word that was preached to you.

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah^(A) a second time: ² “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

³ Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. ⁴ Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming,^(B) “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.^(C)

⁶ When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.^{(D) 7} This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

¹⁰ When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented^(N) and did not bring on them the destruction^(O) he had threatened.^(P)

Psalm 97

Psalm 98

A psalm.