18 Wisdom(A) is better than weapons of war,
    but one sinner destroys much good.

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11 Israel has sinned;(A) they have violated my covenant,(B) which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied,(C) they have put them with their own possessions.(D) 12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies;(E) they turn their backs(F) and run(G) because they have been made liable to destruction.(H) I will not be with you anymore(I) unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

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who killed about thirty-six(A) of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear(B) and became like water.

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Achan’s Sin

But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things[a];(A) Achan(B) son of Karmi, the son of Zimri,[b] the son of Zerah,(C) of the tribe of Judah,(D) took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned(E) against Israel.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 7:1 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 11, 12, 13 and 15.
  2. Joshua 7:1 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 2:6; Hebrew Zabdi; also in verses 17 and 18.

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.(A) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.(B) They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.(C)

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16 Avoid godless chatter,(A) because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus(B) and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place,(C) and they destroy the faith of some.(D)

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16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.(A)

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15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God(A) and that no bitter root(B) grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral,(C) or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.(D)

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Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk(A) and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.(B) 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households(C) by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

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Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,(A) so also these teachers oppose(B) the truth. They are men of depraved minds,(C) who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.

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And then the lawless one will be revealed,(A) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth(B) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.(C) The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan(D) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders(E) that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.(F) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.(G) 11 For this reason God sends them(H) a powerful delusion(I) so that they will believe the lie(J) 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.(K)

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Sheba Rebels Against David

20 Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,

“We have no share(A) in David,(B)
    no part in Jesse’s son!(C)
Every man to his tent, Israel!”

So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

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36 Saul said, “Let us go down and pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.”

“Do whatever seems best to you,” they replied.

But the priest said, “Let us inquire(A) of God here.”

37 So Saul asked God, “Shall I go down and pursue the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel’s hand?” But God did not answer(B) him that day.

38 Saul therefore said, “Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed(C) today. 39 As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives,(D) even if the guilt lies with my son Jonathan,(E) he must die.”(F) But not one of them said a word.

40 Saul then said to all the Israelites, “You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here.”

“Do what seems best to you,” they replied.

41 Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Why have you not answered your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault,[a] respond with Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. 42 Saul said, “Cast the lot(G) between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.

43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.”(H)

So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey(I) with the end of my staff. And now I must die!”

44 Saul said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely,(J) if you do not die, Jonathan.(K)

45 But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair(L) of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued(M) Jonathan, and he was not put to death.

46 Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 14:41 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have “Why … at fault.

28 Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.”

29 Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble(A) for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey.

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20 When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things,[a](A) did not wrath(B) come on the whole community(C) of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”(D)

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

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