Oh, That My People Would Listen to Me

To the choirmaster: according to ^(A)The Gittith.^[a] Of ^(B)Asaph.

David at the Cave of Adullam

22 David departed from there and escaped to ^(A)the cave of ^(B)Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. ^2 (C)And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul,^[a] gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him ^(D)about four hundred men.

³ And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay^[b] with you, till I know what God will do for me.” ⁴ And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. ⁵ Then the prophet ^(E)Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

Saul Kills the Priests at Nob

⁶ Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under ^(F)the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. ⁷ And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse ^(G)give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, ⁸ that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me ^(H)when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you ^(I)is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, ^(J)to lie in wait, as at this day.” ⁹ Then answered ^(K)Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse ^(L)coming to Nob, to ^(M)Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, ^10 (N)and he inquired of the Lord for him and ^(O)gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹ Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. ¹² And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” ¹³ And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and ^(P)have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, ^(Q)to lie in wait, as at this day?” ¹⁴ Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and captain over^[c] your bodyguard, and honored in your house? ¹⁵ Is today the first time ^(R)that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, ^(S)much or little.” ¹⁶ And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house.” ¹⁷ And the king said to ^(T)the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord. ¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, ^(U)and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. ¹⁹ And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; ^(V)both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.

²⁰ But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named ^(W)Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. ²¹ And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. ²² And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, ^(X)when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house. ^23 (Y)Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

David at the Cave of Adullam

22 David departed from there and escaped to ^(A)the cave of ^(B)Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. ^2 (C)And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul,^[a] gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him ^(D)about four hundred men.

³ And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay^[b] with you, till I know what God will do for me.” ⁴ And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. ⁵ Then the prophet ^(E)Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

Saul Kills the Priests at Nob

⁶ Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under ^(F)the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. ⁷ And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse ^(G)give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, ⁸ that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me ^(H)when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you ^(I)is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, ^(J)to lie in wait, as at this day.” ⁹ Then answered ^(K)Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse ^(L)coming to Nob, to ^(M)Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, ^10 (N)and he inquired of the Lord for him and ^(O)gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹ Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. ¹² And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” ¹³ And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and ^(P)have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, ^(Q)to lie in wait, as at this day?” ¹⁴ Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and captain over^[c] your bodyguard, and honored in your house? ¹⁵ Is today the first time ^(R)that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, ^(S)much or little.” ¹⁶ And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house.” ¹⁷ And the king said to ^(T)the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord. ¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, ^(U)and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. ¹⁹ And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; ^(V)both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.

²⁰ But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named ^(W)Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. ²¹ And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. ²² And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, ^(X)when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house. ^23 (Y)Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

Nehemiah's Final Reforms

13 On that day ^(A)they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written ^(B)that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, ² for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. ³ As soon as the people heard the law, ^(C)they separated from Israel all ^(D)those of foreign descent.

⁴ Now before this, ^(E)Eliashib the priest, who ^(F)was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to ^(G)Tobiah, ⁵ prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, ^(H)which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. ⁶ While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for ^(I)in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes ^(J)king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king ⁷ and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, ^(K)preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. ⁸ And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. ⁹ Then I gave orders, and they ^(L)cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

¹⁰ I also found out that ^(M)the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each ^(N)to his field. ^11 (O)So I confronted the officials and said, ^(P)“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. ¹² Then all Judah brought ^(Q)the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. ¹³ And ^(R)I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, ^(S)for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. ^14 (T)Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.

¹⁵ In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses ^(U)on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, ^(V)which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And ^(W)I warned them on the day when they sold food. ¹⁶ Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! ^17 (X)Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, ^(Y)profaning the Sabbath day? ^18 (Z)Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster^[a] on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

¹⁹ As soon as it ^(AA)began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. ²⁰ Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. ^21 (AB)But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. ²² Then I commanded the Levites ^(AC)that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. ^(AD)Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

^30 (A)Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; ³¹ and I provided ^(B)for the wood offering ^(C)at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.

^(D)Remember me, O my God, for good.

⁴¹ So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, ^(A)“I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, ^(B)“Is not this Jesus, ^(C)the son of Joseph, whose father and mother ^(D)we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” ⁴³ Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. ⁴⁴ No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me ^(E)draws him. And ^(F)I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets, ^(G)‘And they will all be ^(H)taught by God.’ ^(I)Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— ^46 (J)not that anyone has seen the Father except ^(K)he who is from God; he ^(L)has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Truly, truly, I say to you, ^(M)whoever believes has eternal life. ^48 (N)I am the bread of life. ^49 (O)Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and ^(P)they died. ^50 (Q)This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it ^(R)and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread ^(S)that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give ^(T)for the life of the world is ^(U)my flesh.”

⁵² The Jews then ^(V)disputed among themselves, saying, ^(W)“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³ So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of ^(X)the Son of Man and drink his blood, you ^(Y)have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood ^(Z)has eternal life, and ^(AA)I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood ^(AB)abides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As ^(AC)the living Father ^(AD)sent me, and ^(AE)I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. ^58 (AF)This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread^[a] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹ Jesus^[b] said these things in the synagogue, as he taught ^(AG)at Capernaum.

The Words of Eternal Life

^60 (AH)When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, ^(AI)knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ⁶² Then what if you were to see ^(AJ)the Son of Man ^(AK)ascending to ^(AL)where he was before? ^63 (AM)It is the Spirit who gives life; ^(AN)the flesh is no help at all. ^(AO)The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴ But ^(AP)there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus ^(AQ)knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and ^(AR)who it was who would betray him.) ⁶⁵ And he said, “This is why I told you ^(AS)that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

^66 (AT)After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to ^(AU)the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have ^(AV)the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and ^(AW)we have believed, and have come to know, that ^(AX)you are ^(AY)the Holy One of God.” ⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, ^(AZ)“Did I not choose you, ^(BA)the twelve? And yet one of you is ^(BB)a devil.” ⁷¹ He spoke of Judas ^(BC)the son of Simon Iscariot, for ^(BD)he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.