David Hears of Absalom’s Death

¹⁹ Then ^(A)Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the Lord has ^[a]avenged him of his enemies.”

²⁰ And Joab said to him, “You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹ Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran.

²² And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But ^[b]whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.”

So Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?”

²³ “But whatever happens,” he said, “let me run.”

So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.

²⁴ Now David was sitting between the ^(B)two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone. ²⁵ Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he came rapidly and drew near.

²⁶ Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “There is another man, running alone!”

And the king said, “He also brings news.”

²⁷ So the watchman said, ^[c]“I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”

And the king said, “He is a good man, and comes with ^(C)good news.”

²⁸ So Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, ^[d]“All is well!” Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, ^(D)“Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!”

²⁹ The king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was about.”

³⁰ And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

³¹ Just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “There is good news, my lord the king! For the Lord has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you.”

³² And the king said to the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

So the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man!”

David’s Mourning for Absalom

³³ Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: ^(E)“O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, ^(F)my son!”

Old Testament Examples

10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under ^(A)the cloud, all passed through ^(B)the sea, ² all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ all ate the same ^(C)spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same ^(D)spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. ⁵ But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies ^(E)were scattered in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as ^(F)they also lusted. ^7 (G)And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ^(H)“The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ^8 (I)Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as ^(J)some of them did, and ^(K)in one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹ nor let us ^[a]tempt Christ, as ^(L)some of them also tempted, and ^(M)were destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰ nor complain, as ^(N)some of them also complained, and ^(O)were destroyed by ^(P)the destroyer. ¹¹ Now ^[b]all these things happened to them as examples, and ^(Q)they were written for our ^[c]admonition, ^(R)upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

¹² Therefore ^(S)let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but ^(T)God is faithful, ^(U)who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to ^[d]bear it.

Flee from Idolatry

¹⁴ Therefore, my beloved, ^(V)flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to ^(W)wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. ^16 (X)The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the ^[e]communion of the blood of Christ? ^(Y)The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ¹⁷ For ^(Z)we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

¹⁸ Observe ^(AA)Israel ^(AB)after the flesh: ^(AC)Are not those who eat of the sacrifices ^[f]partakers of the altar? ¹⁹ What am I saying then? ^(AD)That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? ²⁰ Rather, that the things which the Gentiles ^(AE)sacrifice ^(AF)they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. ^21 (AG)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and ^(AH)the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the ^(AI)Lord’s table and of the table of demons. ²² Or do we ^(AJ)provoke the Lord to jealousy? ^(AK)Are we stronger than He?

All to the Glory of God^(AL)

²³ All things are lawful ^[g]for me, but not all things are ^(AM)helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things ^[h]edify. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own, but each one ^(AN)the other’s well-being.

^25 (AO)Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; ²⁶ for ^(AP)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

²⁷ If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, ^(AQ)eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it ^(AR)for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; ^[i]for ^(AS)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” ²⁹ “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For ^(AT)why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? ³⁰ But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food ^(AU)over which I give thanks?

^31 (AV)Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ^32 (AW)Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, ³³ just ^(AX)as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Worship and the Lord’s Supper

11 Imitate^(AY) me, just as I also imitate Christ.

David Returns to Jerusalem

19 And Joab was told, “Behold, the king is weeping and ^(A)mourning for Absalom.” ² So the victory that day was turned into ^(B)mourning for all the people. For the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.” ³ And the people ^[a]stole back ^(C)into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. ⁴ But the king ^(D)covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, ^(E)“O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

⁵ Then ^(F)Joab came into the house to the king, and said, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, ⁶ in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you ^[b]regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. ⁷ Now therefore, arise, go out and speak ^[c]comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.” ⁸ Then the king arose and sat in the ^(G)gate. And they told all the people, saying, “There is the king, sitting in the gate.” So all the people came before the king.

For everyone of Israel had ^(H)fled to his tent.

David Returns to Jerusalem

⁹ Now all the people were in a dispute throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king saved us from the hand of our ^(I)enemies, he delivered us from the hand of the ^(J)Philistines, and now he has ^(K)fled from the land because of Absalom. ¹⁰ But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king?”

¹¹ So King David sent to ^(L)Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the words of all Israel have come to the king, to his very house? ¹² You are my brethren, you are ^(M)my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?’ ^13 (N)And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? ^(O)God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me ^[d]continually in place of Joab.’ ” ¹⁴ So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, ^(P)just as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants!”

¹⁵ Then the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to ^(Q)Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to escort the king ^(R)across the Jordan. ¹⁶ And ^(S)Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷ There were a thousand men of ^(T)Benjamin with him, and ^(U)Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over the Jordan before the king. ¹⁸ Then a ferryboat went across to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good.

David’s Mercy to Shimei

Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. ¹⁹ Then he said to the king, ^(V)“Do not let my lord ^[e]impute iniquity to me, or remember what ^(W)wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should ^(X)take it to heart. ²⁰ For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all ^(Y)the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”

²¹ But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, ^(Z)because he ^(AA)cursed the Lord’s anointed?”

²² And David said, ^(AB)“What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? ^(AC)Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?” ²³ Therefore ^(AD)the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore to him.

Discern the Time^(A)

⁵⁴ Then He also said to the multitudes, ^(B)“Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. ⁵⁵ And when you see the ^(C)south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern ^(D)this time?

Make Peace with Your Adversary

⁵⁷ “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? ^58 (E)When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort ^(F)along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”

Repent or Perish

13 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had ^[a]mingled with their sacrifices. ² And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? ³ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁶ He also spoke this parable: ^(G)“A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. ⁷ Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it ^[b]use up the ground?’ ⁸ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ^9 [c]And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can ^(H)cut it down.’ ”