War with the Ammonites

10 Some time later, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.^{(A) 2} Then David said, “I’ll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent his emissaries to console Hanun concerning his father. However, when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites, ³ the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, hasn’t David sent his emissaries in order to scout out the city, spy on it, and demolish it?” ^{(B) 4} So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved off half their beards,^(C) cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.^(D)

⁵ When this was reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, since they were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”

⁶ When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired twenty thousand foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, one thousand men from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob.

⁷ David heard about it and sent Joab and all the elite troops. ⁸ The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were in the field by themselves. ⁹ When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some of Israel’s finest young men and lined up in formation to engage the Arameans. ¹⁰ He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai. They lined up in formation to engage the Ammonites.

¹¹ “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll come to help you. ¹² Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God.^(E) May the Lord’s will be done.”^[a](F)

¹³ Joab and his troops advanced to fight against the Arameans, and they fled before him. ¹⁴ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab withdrew from the attack against the Ammonites and went to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped. ¹⁶ Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam with Shobach, commander of Hadadezer’s army, leading them.

¹⁷ When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. Then the Arameans lined up to engage David in battle and fought against him. ¹⁸ But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers.^[b] He also struck down Shobach commander of their army, who died there. ¹⁹ When all the kings who were Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became their subjects. After this, the Arameans were afraid to ever help the Ammonites again.

Living Letters

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.^{(A) 3} You show that you are Christ’s letter,^(B) delivered^[a] by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God^(C)—not on tablets of stone^(D) but on tablets of human hearts.^[b](E)

Paul’s Competence

⁴ Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. ⁵ It is not that we are competent in^[c] ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.^{(F) 6} He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,^(G) not of the letter,^(H) but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

New Covenant Ministry

⁷ Now if the ministry that brought death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory,^(I) so that the Israelites were not able to gaze steadily at Moses’s face because of its glory, which was set aside, ⁸ how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? ⁹ For if the ministry that brought condemnation had glory, the ministry that brings righteousness overflows with even more glory. ¹⁰ In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was set aside^(J) was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

¹² Since, then, we have such a hope,^(K) we act with great boldness. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face^(L) to prevent the Israelites from gazing steadily until the end^[d] of the glory of what was being set aside, ¹⁴ but their minds were hardened.^(M) For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant,^(N) the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.^{(O) 15} Yet still today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, ¹⁶ but whenever a person turns^(P) to the Lord, the veil is removed.^{(Q) 17} Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at^[e](R) the glory of the Lord^(S) and are being transformed^(T) into the same image^(U) from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.^[f]

Parable of the Eagles

17 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, pose a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel.^{(A) 3} You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: A huge eagle with powerful wings,^(B) long feathers, and full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.^{(C) 4} He plucked off its topmost shoot, brought it to the land of merchants, and set it in a city of traders. ⁵ Then he took some of the land’s seed and put it in a fertile field;^(D) he set it like a willow,^(E) a plant^[a] by abundant water. ⁶ It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low in height with its branches turned toward him,^(F) yet its roots stayed under it. So it became a vine, produced branches, and sent out shoots.

⁷ “‘But there was another huge eagle with powerful wings and thick plumage. And this vine bent its roots toward him! It stretched out its branches to him from the plot where it was planted,^(G) so that he might water it. ⁸ It had been planted in a good field by abundant water in order to produce branches, bear fruit, and become a splendid vine.’

⁹ “You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Will it flourish? Will he not tear out its roots^(H) and strip off its fruit so that it shrivels? All its fresh leaves will wither! Great strength and many people will not be needed to pull it from its roots. ¹⁰ Even though it is planted, will it flourish? Won’t it wither completely when the east wind strikes it?^(I) It will wither on the plot where it sprouted.’”

¹¹ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹² “Now say to that rebellious house,^(J) ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and officials,^(K) and brought them back with him to Babylon. ¹³ He took one of the royal family^(L) and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath.^(M) Then he took away the leading men of the land, ¹⁴ so that the kingdom would be humble and not exalt itself^(N) but would keep his covenant in order to endure. ¹⁵ However, this king revolted against him^(O) by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so they might give him horses and a large army.^(P) Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still escape?

¹⁶ “‘As I live—this is the declaration of the Lord God—he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne,^(Q) whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke. ¹⁷ Pharaoh with his mighty army and vast company will not help him in battle,^(R) when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives. ¹⁸ He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. He did all these things even though he gave his hand in pledge.^(S) He will not escape!

¹⁹ “‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: As I live, I will bring down on his head my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke. ²⁰ I will spread my net over him,^(T) and he will be caught in my snare.^(U) I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment on him there for the treachery he committed against me.^{(V) 21} All the fugitives^[b] among his troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every direction of the wind.^(W) Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.

²² “‘This is what the Lord God says:

Psalm 60

Prayer in Difficult Times

For the choir director: according to “The Lily of Testimony.”^(A) A Miktam of David for teaching. When he fought with Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and struck Edom in Salt Valley, killing twelve thousand.^(B)

Psalm 61

Security in God

For the choir director: on stringed instruments. Of David.