15 After this, Absalom got a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

² And [he] rose up early and stood beside the gateway; and when any man who had a controversy came to the king for judgment, Absalom called to him, Of what city are you? And he would say, Your servant is of such and such a tribe of Israel.

³ Absalom would say to him, Your claims are good and right, but there is no man appointed as the king’s agent to hear you.

⁴ Absalom added, Oh, that I were judge in the land! Then every man with any suit or cause might come to me and I would do him justice!

⁵ And whenever a man came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.

⁶ Thus Absalom did to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷ And after [four] years, Absalom said to the king, I pray you, let me go to Hebron [his birthplace] and pay my vow to the Lord.

⁸ For your servant vowed while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, If the Lord will bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord [by offering a sacrifice].

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

¹⁰ But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, Absalom is king at Hebron.

¹¹ With Absalom went 200 men from Jerusalem, who were invited [as guests to his sacrificial feast]; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not a thing.

¹² And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy was strong; the people with Absalom increased continually.

¹³ And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.

¹⁴ David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise and let us flee, or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us and smite the city with the sword.

¹⁵ And the king’s servants said to the king, Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king says.

¹⁶ So the king and all his household after him went forth. But he left ten women who were concubines to keep the house.^(A)

¹⁷ The king went forth with all the people after him, and halted at the last house.

¹⁸ All David’s servants passed on beside him, along with [his bodyguards] all the Cherethites, Pelethites; also all the Gittites, 600 men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

¹⁹ The king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why do you go with us also? Return to your place and remain with the king [Absalom], for you are a foreigner and an exile.

²⁰ Since you came only yesterday, should I make you go up and down with us? Since I must go where I may, you return, and take back your brethren with you. May loving-kindness and faithfulness be with you.

²¹ But Ittai answered the king, As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or life, even there also will your servant be.

²² So David said to Ittai, Go on and pass over [the Kidron]. And Ittai the Gittite passed over and all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

²³ All the country wept with a loud voice as all the people passed over. The king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people went on toward the wilderness.

²⁴ Abiathar [the priest] and behold, Zadok came also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until all the people had gone from the city.

²⁵ Then the king told Zadok, Take back the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His house.

²⁶ But if He says, I have no delight in you, then here I am; let Him do to me what seems good to Him.

²⁷ The king also said to Zadok the priest, Are you not a seer? [You and Abiathar] return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar.

²⁸ See, I will wait at the fords [at the Jordan] of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.

²⁹ Zadok, therefore, and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem and they stayed there.

³⁰ And David went up over the Mount of Olives and wept as he went, barefoot and his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, weeping as they went.

³¹ David was told, Ahithophel [your counselor] is among the conspirators with Absalom. David said, O Lord, I pray You, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.

³² When David came to the summit [of Olivet], where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head.

³³ David said to him, If you go with me, you will be a burden to me.

³⁴ But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

³⁵ Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, just tell it to [them].

³⁶ Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them send to me everything you hear.

³⁷ So Hushai, David’s friend, returned, and Absalom also came into Jerusalem.

26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the Lord:

² Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house [Jeremiah] and speak to all [the people of] the cities of Judah who come to worship in the Lord’s house all the words that I command you to speak to them; subtract not a word.

³ It may be that they will listen and turn every man from his evil way, that I may relent and reverse My decision concerning the evil which I purpose to do to them because of their evil doings.

⁴ And you will say to them, Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to and obey Me, to walk in My law, which I have set before you,

⁵ And to hear and obey the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you urgently and persistently—though you have not listened and obeyed—

⁶ Then will I make this house [the temple] like Shiloh [the home of the Tent of Meeting, abandoned and later destroyed after the ark was captured by the Philistines], and I will make this city subject to the curses of all nations of the earth [so vile in their sight will it be].^(A)

⁷ And the priests and the [false] prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord.

⁸ Now when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the [false] prophets and all the people seized him, saying, You shall surely die!

⁹ Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh [after the ark of the Lord had been taken by our enemies] and this city [Jerusalem] shall be desolate, without inhabitant? And all the people were gathered around Jeremiah in the [outer area of the] house of the Lord.

¹⁰ When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord.

¹¹ Then the priests and the prophets said to the princes and to all the people, This man is deserving of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.

¹² Then Jeremiah said to all the princes and to all the people: The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.

¹³ Therefore now amend your ways and your doings and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent and reverse the decision concerning the evil which He has pronounced against you.

¹⁴ As for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as seems good and suitable to you.

¹⁵ But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and upon its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.

¹⁶ Then said the princes and all the people to the priests and to the prophets: This man is not deserving of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.

¹⁷ Then certain of the elders of the land arose and said to all the assembly of the people,

¹⁸ Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and said to all the people of Judah, Thus says the Lord of hosts: Zion shall be ^[a]plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps [of ruins], and the mountain of the house [of the Lord—Mount Moriah, on which stands the temple, shall become covered not with buildings, but] like a densely wooded height.^(B)

¹⁹ Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put [Micah] to death? Did he not [reverently] fear the Lord and entreat the Lord? And did not the Lord relent and reverse the decision concerning the evil which He had pronounced against them? But [here] we are thinking of committing what will be a great evil against ourselves.

²⁰ And there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriah son of Shemaiah of Kiriath-jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land in words similar to those of Jeremiah.

²¹ And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put [Uriah] to death; but when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt.

²² And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan son of Achbor and certain other men [who went] with him into Egypt.

²³ And they fetched Uriah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who slew him [God’s spokesman] with the sword and cast his dead body among the graves of the common people.

²⁴ But the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that he might not be given into the hands of the people to put him [also] to death.

¹⁴ For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property.

¹⁵ To one he gave five talents [probably about $5,000], to another two, to another one—to each in proportion to his own ^[a]personal ability. Then he departed and left the country.

¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more.

¹⁷ And likewise he who had received the two talents—he also gained two talents more.

¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more.

²¹ His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, ^[b]admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the ^[c]blessedness) which your master enjoys.

²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more.

²³ His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, ^[d]admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the ^[e]blessedness) which your master enjoys.

²⁴ He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain].

²⁵ So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.

²⁶ But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed?

²⁷ Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest.

²⁸ So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be ^[f]furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.

³⁰ And throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

13 Now in the church (assembly) at Antioch there were prophets (inspired interpreters of the will and purposes of God) and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger [Black], Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Separate now for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

³ Then after fasting and praying, they put their hands on them and sent them away.

⁴ So then, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from [that port] they sailed away to Cyprus.

⁵ When they arrived at Salamis, they preached the Word of God [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John [Mark] as an attendant to assist them.

⁶ When they had passed through the entire island of Cyprus as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain Jewish wizard or sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus.

⁷ He was closely associated with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent and sensible man of sound understanding; he summoned to him Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the Word of God [concerning salvation in the kingdom of God attained through Christ].

⁸ But Elymas ^[a]the wise man—for that is the translation of his name [^[b]which he had given himself]—opposed them, seeking to keep the proconsul from accepting the faith.

⁹ But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit, looked steadily at [Elymas]

¹⁰ And said, You master in every form of deception and recklessness, unscrupulousness, and wickedness, you son of the devil, you enemy of everything that is upright and good, will you never stop perverting and making crooked the straight paths of the Lord and plotting against His saving purposes?^(A)

¹¹ And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind, [so blind that you will be] unable to see the sun for a time. Instantly there fell upon him a mist and a darkness, and he groped about seeking persons who would lead him by the hand.

¹² Then the proconsul believed (became a Christian) when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished and deeply touched at the teaching concerning the Lord and from Him.