²⁴ Then David came to Mahanaim, while Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.^{(A) 25} Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army in the place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite,^[a] who had married Abigal daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.^{(B) 26} The Israelites and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

²⁷ When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim^{(C) 28} brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans and lentils,^{[b] 29} honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, “The troops are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”^(D)

The Defeat and Death of Absalom

18 Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.^{(E) 2} And David sent forth the army: one third under the command of Joab; one third under the command of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother; and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the men, “I myself will also go out with you.”^{(F) 3} But the men said, “You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us;^[c] therefore it is better that you send us help from the city.”^{(G) 4} The king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.^{(H) 5} The king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom.^(I)

⁶ So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.^{(J) 7} The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. ⁸ The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword.

Paul before the Council

³⁰ Since he wanted to find out what Paul^[a] was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them.^(A)

23 While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, “Brothers,^[b] up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God.”^{(B) 2} Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth.^{(C) 3} At this Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?”^{(D) 4} Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.’ ”^(E)

⁶ When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, “Brothers,^[c] I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection^[d] of the dead.”^{(F) 7} When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.)^{(G) 9} Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”^{(H) 10} When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.^(I)

¹¹ That night the Lord stood near him and said, “Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.”^(J)

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

¹² On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.^{(A) 14} He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

¹⁵ Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves, ¹⁶ and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. ¹⁷ He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written,

¹⁸ And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him, for they were afraid of him because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching.^{(C) 19} And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples^[a] went out of the city.

The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

²⁰ In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.^{(D) 21} Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”^{(E) 22} Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.^{[b](F) 23} Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.^{(G) 24} So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received^[c] it, and it will be yours.^(H)

²⁵ “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”^[d](I)