20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace[a](A) and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose(B) from his seat,

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 24.

15 I will tear down the winter house(A)
    along with the summer house;(B)
the houses adorned with ivory(C) will be destroyed
    and the mansions(D) will be demolished,(E)
declares the Lord.(F)

Read full chapter

Who should not fear(A) you,
    King of the nations?(B)
    This is your due.
Among all the wise leaders of the nations
    and in all their kingdoms,
    there is no one like you.

Read full chapter

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
    and to fear your name is wisdom—
    “Heed the rod(A) and the One who appointed it.[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

Ascribe to the Lord,(A) you heavenly beings,(B)
    ascribe to the Lord glory(C) and strength.

Read full chapter

12 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

Read full chapter

Nathan Rebukes David(A)

12 The Lord sent Nathan(B) to David.(C) When he came to him,(D) he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

David(E) burned with anger(F) against the man(G) and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives,(H) the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over,(I) because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!(J) This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed(K) you(L) king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you,(M) and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise(N) the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down(O) Uriah(P) the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed(Q) him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword(R) will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household(S) I am going to bring calamity on you.(T) Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.(U) 12 You did it in secret,(V) but I will do this thing in broad daylight(W) before all Israel.’”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned(X) against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away(Y) your sin.(Z) You are not going to die.(AA) 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the Lord,(AB) the son born to you will die.”

15 After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck(AC) the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 12:14 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text for the enemies of

19 But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”

The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.

Read full chapter

Bible Gateway Recommends