²⁴ Mephibosheth,^(A) Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. ²⁵ When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me,^(B) Mephibosheth?”

²⁶ He said, “My lord the king, since I your servant am lame,^(C) I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.’ But Ziba^(D) my servant betrayed me. ²⁷ And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like an angel^(E) of God; so do whatever you wish. ²⁸ All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death^(F) from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table.^(G) So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?”

²⁹ The king said to him, “Why say more? I order you and Ziba to divide the land.”

³⁰ Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has returned home safely.”

³¹ Barzillai^(H) the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there. ³² Now Barzillai was very old, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy^(I) man. ³³ The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you.”

³⁴ But Barzillai answered the king, “How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? ³⁵ I am now eighty^(J) years old. Can I tell the difference between what is enjoyable and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of male and female singers?^(K) Why should your servant be an added^(L) burden to my lord the king? ³⁶ Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance, but why should the king reward me in this way? ³⁷ Let your servant return, that I may die in my own town near the tomb of my father^(M) and mother. But here is your servant Kimham.^(N) Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever you wish.”

³⁸ The king said, “Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever you wish. And anything you desire from me I will do for you.”

³⁹ So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and bid him farewell,^(O) and Barzillai returned to his home.

⁴⁰ When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham crossed with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel had taken the king over.

⁴¹ Soon all the men of Israel were coming to the king and saying to him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal the king away and bring him and his household across the Jordan, together with all his men?”^(P)

⁴² All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is closely related to us. Why are you angry about it? Have we eaten any of the king’s provisions? Have we taken anything for ourselves?”

⁴³ Then the men of Israel^(Q) answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king; so we have a greater claim on David than you have. Why then do you treat us with contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing back our king?”

But the men of Judah pressed their claims even more forcefully than the men of Israel.

On Covering the Head in Worship

² I praise you^(A) for remembering me in everything^(B) and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.^{(C) 3} But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,^(D) and the head of the woman is man,^[a](E) and the head of Christ is God.^{(F) 4} Every man who prays or prophesies^(G) with his head covered dishonors his head. ⁵ But every woman who prays or prophesies^(H) with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved.^{(I) 6} For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

⁷ A man ought not to cover his head,^[b] since he is the image^(J) and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;^{(K) 9} neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.^{(L) 10} It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own^[c] head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.^(M)

¹³ Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵ but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.^(N)

Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper^(O)

¹⁷ In the following directives I have no praise for you,^(P) for your meetings do more harm than good. ¹⁸ In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions^(Q) among you, and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹ No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.^{(R) 20} So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, ²¹ for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers.^(S) As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. ²² Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God^(T) by humiliating those who have nothing?^(U) What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?^(V) Certainly not in this matter!

²³ For I received from the Lord^(W) what I also passed on to you:^(X) The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body,^(Y) which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant^(Z) in my blood;^(AA) do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.^(AB)

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.^{(AC) 28} Everyone ought to examine themselves^(AD) before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.^{(AE) 31} But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.^{(AF) 32} Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined^(AG) so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.^(AH)

³³ So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. ³⁴ Anyone who is hungry^(AI) should eat something at home,^(AJ) so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

And when I come^(AK) I will give further directions.

David’s Last Words

23 These are the last words of David:

David’s Mighty Warriors^(N)

⁸ These are the names of David’s mighty warriors:^(O)

Josheb-Basshebeth,^[a](P) a Tahkemonite,^[b] was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed^[c] in one encounter.

⁹ Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai^(Q) the Ahohite.^(R) As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim^[d] for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, ¹⁰ but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

¹¹ Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. ¹² But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

¹³ During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam,^(S) while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.^{(T) 14} At that time David was in the stronghold,^(U) and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.^{(V) 15} David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁶ So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured^(W) it out before the Lord. ¹⁷ “Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood^(X) of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

¹⁰ On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,^{(A) 11} and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.^(B) She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³ Then he put his hands on her,^(C) and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

¹⁴ Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath,^(D) the synagogue leader^(E) said to the people, “There are six days for work.^(F) So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

¹⁵ The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?^{(G) 16} Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham,^(H) whom Satan^(I) has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated,^(J) but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast^(K)(L)

¹⁸ Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God^(M) like?^(N) What shall I compare it to? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree,^(O) and the birds perched in its branches.”^(P)

²⁰ Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? ²¹ It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds^[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”^(Q)

The Narrow Door

²² Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.^{(R) 23} Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,^(S) because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. ²⁵ Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’^(T)

²⁶ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

²⁷ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’^(U)

²⁸ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth,^(V) when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ People will come from east and west^(W) and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”^(X)

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem^(Y)(Z)

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod^(AA) wants to kill you.”

³² He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’^{(AB) 33} In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet^(AC) can die outside Jerusalem!

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,^(AD) and you were not willing. ³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate.^(AE) I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[b]”^(AF)