³⁸ So Absalom fled and went to ^(A)Geshur, and was there three years. ³⁹ And ^[a]King David ^[b]longed to go to Absalom. For he had been ^(B)comforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead.

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

14 So Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was concerned ^(C)about Absalom. ² And Joab sent to ^(D)Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, ^(E)and put on mourning apparel; do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long time for the dead. ³ Go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab ^(F)put the words in her mouth.

⁴ And when the woman of Tekoa ^[c]spoke to the king, she ^(G)fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, ^(H)“Help, O king!”

⁵ Then the king said to her, “What troubles you?”

And she answered, ^(I)“Indeed I am a widow, my husband is dead. ⁶ Now your maidservant had two sons; and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him. ⁷ And now the whole family has risen up against your maidservant, and they said, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute him ^(J)for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also.’ So they would extinguish my ember that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the earth.”

⁸ Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”

⁹ And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, let ^(K)the ^[d]iniquity be on me and on my father’s house, ^(L)and the king and his throne be guiltless.”

¹⁰ So the king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you anymore.”

¹¹ Then she said, “Please let the king remember the Lord your God, and do not permit ^(M)the avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.”

And he said, ^(N)“As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

¹² Therefore the woman said, “Please, let your maidservant speak another word to my lord the king.”

And he said, “Say on.”

¹³ So the woman said: “Why then have you schemed such a thing against ^(O)the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring ^(P)his banished one home again. ¹⁴ For we ^(Q)will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not ^(R)take away a life; but He ^(S)devises means, so that His banished ones are not ^[e]expelled from Him. ¹⁵ Now therefore, I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And your maidservant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his maidservant. ¹⁶ For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the ^(T)inheritance of God.’ ¹⁷ Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for ^(U)as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in ^(V)discerning good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.’ ”

¹⁸ Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I ask you.”

And the woman said, “Please, let my lord the king speak.”

¹⁹ So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. For your servant Joab commanded me, and ^(W)he put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant. ²⁰ To bring about this change of affairs your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, ^(X)according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth.”

²¹ And the king said to Joab, “All right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.”

²² Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and ^[f]thanked the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.” ²³ So Joab arose ^(Y)and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. ²⁴ And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but ^(Z)do not let him see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king’s face.

Principles of Marriage

7 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:

^(A)It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ² Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ^3 (B)Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ^5 (C)Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that ^(D)Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ But I say this as a concession, ^(E)not as a commandment. ⁷ For ^(F)I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

⁸ But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: ^(G)It is good for them if they remain even as I am; ⁹ but ^(H)if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Keep Your Marriage Vows

¹⁰ Now to the married I command, yet not I but the ^(I)Lord: ^(J)A wife is not to depart from her husband. ¹¹ But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

¹² But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. ¹³ And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise ^(K)your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us ^(L)to peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, O wife, whether you will ^(M)save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Live as You Are Called

¹⁷ But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And ^(N)so I ^[a]ordain in all the churches. ¹⁸ Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? ^(O)Let him not be circumcised. ^19 (P)Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but ^(Q)keeping the commandments of God is what matters. ²⁰ Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. ²¹ Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. ²² For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is ^(R)the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is ^(S)Christ’s slave. ^23 (T)You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ Brethren, let each one remain with ^(U)God in that state in which he was called.

To the Unmarried and Widows

²⁵ Now concerning virgins: ^(V)I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one ^(W)whom the Lord in His mercy has made ^(X)trustworthy. ²⁶ I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—^(Y)that it is good for a man to remain as he is: ²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸ But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.

²⁹ But ^(Z)this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, ³⁰ those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, ³¹ and those who use this world as not ^(AA)misusing it. For ^(AB)the form of this world is passing away.

³² But I want you to be without ^[b]care. ^(AC)He who is unmarried ^[c]cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. ³³ But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. ³⁴ There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman ^(AD)cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. ³⁵ And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

³⁶ But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his ^[d]virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry. ³⁷ Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his ^[e]virgin, does well. ^38 (AE)So then he who gives ^[f]her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.

^39 (AF)A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, ^(AG)only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she remains as she is, ^(AH)according to my judgment—and ^(AI)I think I also have the Spirit of God.

David Forgives Absalom

²⁵ Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. ^(A)From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. ²⁶ And when he cut the hair of his head—at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard. ^27 (B)To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance.

²⁸ And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, ^(C)but did not see the king’s face. ²⁹ Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. And when he sent again the second time, he would not come. ³⁰ So he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

³¹ Then Joab arose and came to Absalom’s house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”

³² And Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” ’ Now therefore, let me see the king’s face; but ^(D)if there is iniquity in me, let him execute me.”

³³ So Joab went to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king ^(E)kissed Absalom.

Absalom’s Treason

15 After this ^(F)it happened that Absalom ^(G)provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. ² Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. So it was, whenever anyone who had a ^(H)lawsuit^[a] came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and say, “What city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel.” ³ Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your ^[b]case is good and right; but there is no ^[c]deputy of the king to hear you.” ⁴ Moreover Absalom would say, ^(I)“Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.” ⁵ And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and ^(J)kiss him. ⁶ In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. ^(K)So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷ Now it came to pass ^(L)after ^[d]forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please, let me go to ^(M)Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord. ^8 (N)For your servant ^(O)took a vow ^(P)while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the Lord indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’ ”

⁹ And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.

¹⁰ Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom ^(Q)reigns in Hebron!’ ” ¹¹ And with Absalom went two hundred men ^(R)invited from Jerusalem, and they ^(S)went along innocently and did not know anything. ¹² Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, ^(T)David’s counselor, from his city—from ^(U)Giloh—while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom ^(V)continually increased in number.

Seeking a Sign^(A)

^29 (B)And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a ^(C)sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah ^[a]the prophet. ³⁰ For as ^(D)Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. ^31 (E)The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a ^(F)greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for ^(G)they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

The Lamp of the Body^(H)

^33 (I)“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a ^(J)basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. ^34 (K)The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is ^[b]good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is ^[c]bad, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵ Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. ³⁶ If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers

³⁷ And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. ^38 (L)When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

^39 (M)Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but ^(N)your inward part is full of ^[d]greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ Foolish ones! Did not ^(O)He who made the outside make the inside also? ^41 (P)But rather give alms of ^[e]such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.

^42 (Q)“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and ^(R)pass by justice and the ^(S)love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. ^43 (T)Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the ^[f]best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. ^44 (U)Woe to you, ^[g]scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ^(V)For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

⁴⁵ Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”

⁴⁶ And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! ^(W)For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. ^47 (X)Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. ⁴⁸ In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ^(Y)‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ ⁵⁰ that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, ^51 (Z)from the blood of Abel to ^(AA)the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

^52 (AB)“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

^53 [h]And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, ⁵⁴ lying in wait for Him, ^[i]and ^(AC)seeking to catch Him in something He might say, ^[j]that they might accuse Him.