The Daily Audio Bible
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The Report of Saul’s Death
1 After Saul died and David returned from defeating the Amalekites,[a] David stayed in Ziklag two days. 2 On the third day a man came from Saul’s camp. His clothes were torn, and he had dirt on his head. When he came to David, he immediately bowed down with his face touching the ground.
3 “Where did you come from?” David asked him.
“I escaped from the camp of Israel,” he answered.
4 “What happened?” David asked him. “Please tell me.”
The man answered, “The army fled from the battle, and many of the soldiers died. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead too.”
5 “How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” David asked the young man who had brought him the news.
6 The young man answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa. Saul was there leaning on his spear, and the chariots and horsemen were catching up with him. 7 When he looked back and saw me, he called to me, and I said, ‘Yes?’ ”
8 “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’
“I said to him, ‘I’m an Amalekite.’
9 “He said to me, ‘Please stand over me and kill me. I’m alive, but I’m suffering.’
10 “So I stood over him and killed him, since I knew he couldn’t survive after he had been wounded. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band that was on his arm and brought them here to you, sir.”
11 Then David grabbed his own clothes and tore them in grief. All the men with him did the same. 12 They mourned, cried, and fasted until evening because Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord’s army, and the nation of Israel had been defeated in battle.
13 David asked the young man who had brought him the news, “Where are you from?”
And the young man answered, “I’m an Amalekite, the son of a foreign resident.”
14 David asked, “Why weren’t you afraid to take it upon yourself to destroy the Lord’s anointed king?” 15 Then David called one of ⌞his⌟ young men and told him, “Come here and attack him.” David’s young man executed him 16 while David said, “You are responsible for spilling your own blood. You testified against yourself when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed king.’ ”
David’s Lament
17 David wrote this song of mourning for Saul and his son Jonathan. 18 He said,
“Teach this kesheth [b] to the people of Judah.”
(It is recorded in the Book of Jashar.)
19 “Your glory, Israel, lies dead on your hills.
See how the mighty have fallen!
20 Don’t tell the news in Gath.
Don’t announce the victory in the streets of Ashkelon,
or the daughters of the Philistines will be glad,
and the daughters of godless men will celebrate.
21 You mountains in Gilboa,
may there be no dew or rain on you
or on your slopes,
because warriors’ shields were tarnished there.
Saul’s shield was never rubbed with olive oil.
22 From the blood of those killed and the fat of the warriors,
Jonathan’s bow did not turn away,
nor did Saul’s sword return unused.
23 Saul and Jonathan were loved and well-liked while they were living.
They were not separated even when they died.
They were swifter than eagles and stronger than lions.
24 Daughters of Israel, cry over Saul,
who dressed you in decorated, red clothes,
who put gold jewelry on your clothes.
25 See how the mighty have fallen in battle!
On your hills Jonathan was killed!
26 I am heartbroken over you, my brother Jonathan.
You were my great delight.
Your love was more wonderful to me than the love of women.
27 See how the mighty have fallen!
See how the weapons of war have been destroyed!”
David Becomes King of Judah
2 After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I go to one of the cities of Judah?”
“Go,” the Lord answered him.
“Where should I go?” David asked.
“To Hebron,” the Lord replied.
2 David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail (who had been Nabal’s wife) from Carmel. 3 David took his men and their families with him, and they settled in the towns around Hebron. 4 Then the people of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David to be king over the tribe of Judah.
They told David, “The people of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.” 5 So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh Gilead. He said to them, “May the Lord bless you because you showed kindness to your master Saul by burying him. 6 May the Lord always show you kindness. I, too, will be good to you because you did this. 7 Now, be strong and courageous. Because your master Saul is dead, the tribe of Judah has anointed me to be their king.”
Abner Makes Ishbosheth King of Israel
8 Ner’s son Abner, commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ishbosheth [c] and brought him to Mahanaim. 9 Abner made him king of Gilead, Asher,[d] Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, that is, all Israel. 10 Saul’s son Ishbosheth was 40 years old when he became king of Israel. He ruled for two years, but the tribe of Judah followed David. 11 In Hebron David was king over the tribe of Judah for seven years and six months.
Some Greeks Ask to See Jesus
20 Some Greeks were among those who came to worship during the Passover festival. 21 They went to Philip (who was from Bethsaida in Galilee) and told him, “Sir, we would like to meet Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew, and they told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied to them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn’t produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain. 25 Those who love their lives will destroy them, and those who hate their lives in this world will guard them for everlasting life. 26 Those who serve me must follow me. My servants will be with me wherever I will be. If people serve me, the Father will honor them.
27 “I am too deeply troubled now to know how to express my feelings. Should I say, ‘Father, save me from this time ⌞of suffering⌟’? No! I came for this time of suffering. 28 Father, give glory to your name.”
A voice from heaven said, “I have given it glory, and I will give it glory again.”
29 The crowd standing there heard the voice and said that it had thundered. Others in the crowd said that an angel had talked to him. 30 Jesus replied, “That voice wasn’t for my benefit but for yours.
31 “This world is being judged now. The ruler of this world will be thrown out now. 32 When I have been lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people toward me.” 33 By saying this, he indicated how he was going to die.
34 The crowd responded to him, “We have heard from the Scriptures that the Messiah will remain here forever. So how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up from the earth’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35 Jesus answered the crowd, “The light will still be with you for a little while. Walk while you have light so that darkness won’t defeat you. Those who walk in the dark don’t know where they’re going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light so that you will become people whose lives show the light.”
After Jesus had said this, he was concealed as he left. 37 Although they had seen Jesus perform so many miracles, they wouldn’t believe in him. 38 In this way the words of the prophet Isaiah came true:
“Lord, who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord’s power been revealed?”
39 So the people couldn’t believe because, as Isaiah also said,
40 “God blinded them
and made them close-minded
so that their eyes don’t see
and their minds don’t understand.
And they never turn to me for healing!”
41 Isaiah said this because he had seen Jesus’ glory and had spoken about him.
42 Many rulers believed in Jesus. However, they wouldn’t admit it publicly because the Pharisees would have thrown them out of the synagogue. 43 They were more concerned about what people thought of them than about what God thought of them.
44 Then Jesus said loudly, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me. 45 Whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. 46 I am the light that has come into the world so that everyone who believes in me will not live in the dark. 47 If anyone hears my words and doesn’t follow them, I don’t condemn them. I didn’t come to condemn the world but to save the world. 48 Those who reject me by not accepting what I say have a judge appointed for them. The words that I have spoken will judge them on the last day. 49 I have not spoken on my own. Instead, the Father who sent me told me what I should say and how I should say it. 50 I know that what he commands is eternal life. Whatever I say is what the Father told me to say.”
19 Open the gates of righteousness for me.
I will go through them ⌞and⌟ give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
through which righteous people will enter.
21 I give thanks to you,
because you have answered me.
You are my savior.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23 The Lord is responsible for this,
and it is amazing for us to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made.
Let’s rejoice and be glad today!
25 We beg you, O Lord, save us!
We beg you, O Lord, give us success!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the Lord’s house.
27 The Lord is God, and he has given us light.
March in a festival procession
with branches to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I give thanks to you.
My God, I honor you highly.
29 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.
27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble to his family,
but whoever hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of a righteous person carefully considers how to answer,
but the mouths of wicked people pour out a flood of evil things.
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