Abner Is Killed by Joab

²² Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for David^[a] had dismissed him, and he had gone away in peace.^{(A) 23} When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told to Joab, “Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he has dismissed him, and he has gone away in peace.” ²⁴ Then Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner came to you; why did you dismiss him, so that he got away? ²⁵ You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to learn your comings and goings and to learn all that you are doing.”^(B)

²⁶ When Joab came out from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah, but David did not know about it. ²⁷ When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gateway to speak with him privately, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. So he died on account of the blood of Asahel, Joab’s^[b] brother.^{(C) 28} Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner son of Ner. ²⁹ May the bloodguilt fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge, or who has a defiling skin disease, or who holds a spindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks food!”^{(D) 30} So Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.^(E)

³¹ Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” And King David followed the bier.^{(F) 32} They buried Abner at Hebron. The king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³ The king lamented for Abner, saying,

And all the people wept over him again. ³⁵ Then all the people came to persuade David to eat something while it was still day, but David swore, saying, “So may God do to me and more, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down!”^{(H) 36} All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷ So all the people and all Israel understood that day that the king had no part in the killing of Abner son of Ner. ³⁸ And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹ Today I am powerless, even though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too violent for me. The Lord pay back the one who does wickedly in accordance with his wickedness!”^(I)

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a female slave who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling.^{(A) 17} While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you^[a] the way of salvation.”^{(B) 18} She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

¹⁹ But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.^{(C) 20} When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men, these Jews, are disturbing our city^{(D) 21} and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us, being Romans, to adopt or observe.” ²² The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods.^{(E) 23} After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely.^{(F) 24} Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.^(G)

⁴⁷ When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came toward them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by.^{(A) 49} But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, ⁵⁰ for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”^{(B) 51} Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,^{(C) 52} for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.^(D)

Healing the Sick in Gennesaret

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat.^{(E) 54} When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him ⁵⁵ and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶ And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.^(F)