David Mourns for Saul and Jonathan

1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag.^{(A) 2} On the third day, a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obeisance.^{(B) 3} David said to him, “Where have you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” ⁴ David said to him, “How did things go? Tell me!” He answered, “The army fled from the battle, but also many of the army fell and died, and Saul and his son Jonathan also died.” ⁵ Then David asked the young man who was reporting to him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan died?” ⁶ The young man reporting to him said, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, while the chariots and the horsemen drew close to him.^{(C) 7} When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. I answered, ‘Here, sir.’ ⁸ And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’^{(D) 9} He said to me, ‘Come, stand over me and kill me, for convulsions have seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ ¹⁰ So I stood over him and killed him, for I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”^(E)

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same.^{(F) 12} They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for his son Jonathan and for the army of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had been struck down^[a] by the sword.^{(G) 13} David said to the young man who had reported to him, “Where do you come from?” He answered, “I am the son of a resident alien, an Amalekite.”^{(H) 14} David said to him, “Were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”^{(I) 15} Then David called one of the young men and said, “Come here and strike him down.” So he struck him down, and he died.^{(J) 16} David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ”^(K)

¹⁷ David intoned this lamentation over Saul and his son Jonathan.^{(L) 18} (He ordered that The Song of the Bow^[b] be taught to the people of Judah; it is written in the Book of Jashar.) He said,^(M)

David Anointed King of Judah

2 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” The Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” He said, “To Hebron.”^{(V) 2} So David went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.^{(W) 3} David brought up the men who were with him, every one with his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron.^{(X) 4} Then the people of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

When they told David, “It was the people of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,”^{(Y) 5} David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him!^{(Z) 6} Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you! And I, too, will reward you because you have done this thing. ⁷ Therefore let your hands be strong and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ishbaal King of Israel

⁸ But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbaal^[d] son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. ⁹ He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.^{(AA) 10} Ishbaal,^[e] Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. ¹¹ The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.^(AB)

The Battle of Gibeon

¹² Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ishbaal^[f] son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.^{(AC) 13} Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat on one side of the pool, while the other sat on the other side of the pool.^{(AD) 14} Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us.” Joab said, “Let them come forward.” ¹⁵ So they came forward and were counted as they passed by, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbaal^[g] son of Saul and twelve of the servants of David. ¹⁶ Each grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,^[h] which is at Gibeon. ¹⁷ The battle was very fierce that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by the servants of David.^(AE)

¹⁸ The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.^{(AF) 19} Asahel pursued Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he followed him. ²⁰ Then Abner looked back and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” He answered, “Yes, it is.” ²¹ Abner said to him, “Turn to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men, and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him. ²² Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from following me; why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I show my face to your brother Joab?”^{(AG) 23} But he refused to turn away. So Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. He fell there and died where he lay. And all those who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died stood still.^(AH)

²⁴ But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. As the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.^{(AI) 25} The Benjaminites rallied around Abner and formed a single band; they took their stand on the top of a hill. ²⁶ Then Abner called to Joab, “Is the sword to keep devouring forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you order your people to turn from the pursuit of their kinsmen?” ²⁷ Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, the people would have continued to pursue their kinsmen, not stopping until morning.”^{(AJ) 28} Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or engaged in battle any further.

²⁹ Abner and his men traveled all that night through the Arabah; they crossed the Jordan, and, marching the whole forenoon,^[i] they came to Mahanaim.^{(AK) 30} Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel. ³¹ But the servants of David had killed of Benjamin three hundred sixty of Abner’s men. ³² They took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.

David Anointed King of All Israel

11 Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your bone and flesh.^{(A) 2} For some time now, even while Saul was king, it was you who commanded the army of Israel. The Lord your God said to you, ‘It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over my people Israel.’ ”^{(B) 3} So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.^(C)

Jerusalem Captured

⁴ David and all Israel marched to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.^{(D) 5} The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, now the city of David. ⁶ David had said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.^{(E) 7} David resided in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. ⁸ He built the city all around, from the Millo in complete circuit, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. ⁹ And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.^(F)

David’s Mighty Men and Their Exploits

¹⁰ Now these are the chiefs of David’s warriors, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.^{(G) 11} This is an account of David’s mighty warriors: Jashobeam, son of Hachmoni,^[a] was chief of the Three;^[b] he wielded his spear against three hundred whom he killed at one time.^(H)

¹² And next to him among the three warriors was Eleazar son of Dodo, the Ahohite. ¹³ He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley. Now the people had fled from the Philistines,^{(I) 14} but he and David took their stand in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines, and the Lord saved them by a great victory.

¹⁵ Three of the thirty chiefs went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam while the army of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.^{(J) 16} David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. ¹⁷ David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” ¹⁸ Then the Three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and they brought it to David. But David would not drink of it; he poured it out to the Lord ¹⁹ and said, “My God forbid that I should do this. Can I drink the blood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. The three warriors did these things.

²⁰ Now Abishai,^[c] the brother of Joab, was chief of the Thirty.^[d] With his spear he fought against three hundred and killed them and won a name^[e] beside the Three.^{(K) 21} He was the most renowned^[f] of the Thirty^[g] and became their commander, but he did not attain to the Three.^(L)

²² Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant man^[h] of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he struck down two sons of^[i] Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.^{(M) 23} And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver’s beam, but Benaiah went against him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.^{(N) 24} Such were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and he won a name beside the three warriors. ²⁵ He was renowned among the Thirty, but he did not attain to the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

²⁶ The warriors of the armies were Asahel brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,^{(O) 27} Shammoth of Harod,^[j] Helez the Pelonite, ²⁸ Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, ²⁹ Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, ³⁰ Maharai of Netophah, Heled son of Baanah of Netophah, ³¹ Ithai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjaminites, Benaiah of Pirathon, ³² Hurai of the wadis of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, ³³ Azmaveth of Bahurim, Eliahba of Shaalbon, ³⁴ Hashem^[k] the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite, ³⁵ Ahiam son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur, ³⁶ Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, ³⁷ Hezro of Carmel, Naarai son of Ezbai, ³⁸ Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, ³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth (the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah),^{(P) 40} Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, ⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai, ⁴² Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, ⁴³ Hanan son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, ⁴⁴ Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel sons of Hotham the Aroerite, ⁴⁵ Jediael son of Shimri and his brother Joha the Tizite, ⁴⁶ Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai and Joshaviah sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, ⁴⁷ Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Psalm 96

Praise to God Who Comes in Judgment

Psalm 106

A Confession of Israel’s Sins

Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

21 When we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.^{[a] 2} When we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail.^{(A) 3} We came in sight of Cyprus, and leaving it on our left, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. ⁴ We looked up the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.^{(B) 5} When our days there were ended, we left and proceeded on our journey, and all of them, with wives and children, escorted us outside the city. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed^{(C) 6} and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ When we had finished^[b] the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for one day.^{(D) 8} The next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him.^{(E) 9} He had four unmarried daughters^[c] who had the gift of prophecy.^{(F) 10} While we were staying there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ He came to us and took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the gentiles.’ ”^{(G) 12} When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”^{(H) 14} Since he would not be persuaded, we remained silent except to say, “The Lord’s will be done.”^(I)

¹⁵ After these days we got ready and started to go up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came along and brought us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.^(J)

Paul Visits James at Jerusalem

¹⁷ When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us warmly.^{(K) 18} The next day Paul went with us to visit James, and all the elders were present.^{(L) 19} After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the gentiles through his ministry.^{(M) 20} When they heard it, they praised God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealous for the law.^{(N) 21} They have been told about you that you teach all the Jews living among the gentiles to forsake Moses and that you tell them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs. ²² What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. ²³ So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.^{(O) 24} Join these men, go through the rite of purification with them, and pay for the shaving of their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you but that you yourself observe and guard the law.^{(P) 25} But as for the gentiles who have become believers, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled^[d] and from sexual immorality.”^{(Q) 26} Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified himself, he entered the temple with them, making public the completion of the days of purification when the sacrifice would be made for each of them.^(R)

Paul Arrested in the Temple

²⁷ When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd. They seized him,^{(S) 28} shouting, “Fellow Israelites,^[e] help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place; more than that, he has actually brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”^{(T) 29} For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.^{(U) 30} Then all the city was aroused, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.^{(V) 31} While they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³² Immediately he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. When they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.^{(W) 33} Then the tribune came, arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; he inquired who he was and what he had done.^{(X) 34} Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another, and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.^{(Y) 35} When Paul^[f] came to the steps, the violence of the mob was so great that he had to be carried by the soldiers. ³⁶ The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Away with him!”^(Z)

Paul Defends Himself

³⁷ Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” The tribune^[g] replied, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?”^{(AA) 39} Paul replied, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.”^{(AB) 40} When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence, and when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew^[h] language, saying:^(AC)