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Conflicts between Abner and Joab
12 Ner’s son Abner and the officers of Saul’s son Ishbosheth went from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 Zeruiah’s son Joab and David’s officers also left ⌞Hebron⌟. Both groups met at the pool of Gibeon. They sat down there, one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side of the pool.
14 Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men hold a contest.” Joab agreed.
15 The men got up and were counted as they passed by. Twelve were from the tribe of Benjamin (representing Saul’s son Ishbosheth), and twelve were from David’s officers. 16 Each one grabbed his opponent by the head, stuck his sword into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. Therefore, that place in Gibeon is called the Field of Enemies. 17 Fierce fighting broke out that day, and David’s men defeated Abner and the men of Israel.
18 Zeruiah’s three sons were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as fast on his feet as a wild gazelle. 19 He chased Abner and refused to leave him alone. 20 When Abner looked back, he asked, “Are you Asahel?”
“Yes,” Asahel answered.
21 Abner told him, “Leave me alone! Catch one of the young men, and take his weapon.”
But Asahel refused to turn away from him. 22 So Abner spoke again to Asahel. “Stop following me,” he said. “Why should I kill you? How could I look your brother Joab in the face again?”
23 But Asahel refused to turn away. So Abner struck him with the butt of the spear. The spear went into his belly and came out his back. He fell down there and died on the spot. And everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell and died stopped there.
24 But Joab and Abishai chased Abner. When the sun went down, they came to the hill of Ammah, opposite Giah on the road from Gibeon to the desert. 25 The men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner, banding together and taking their position on top of a hill.
26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Should this slaughter go on forever? Don’t you know this will end in bitterness? How long will it be before you will call off your troops from chasing their relatives?”
27 Joab answered, “I solemnly swear, as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would not have stopped chasing their relatives until morning.” 28 So Joab blew a ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped. They didn’t chase or fight Israel anymore.
29 Abner and his men marched through the plains all that night. They crossed the Jordan River and passed through the entire Bithron until they came to Mahanaim.
30 Joab returned from chasing Abner. When he had gathered all the troops, ⌞only⌟ 19 of David’s officers and Asahel were missing. 31 However, David’s officers had killed 360 of the men of Benjamin under Abner’s command. 32 They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.
3 As the war between the royal families of Saul and David dragged on, David’s family became stronger and stronger, and Saul’s family became weaker and weaker.
David’s Sons(A)
2 Sons were born to David while he was in Hebron. His first son was Amnon, ⌞born⌟ to Ahinoam from Jezreel. 3 The second was Chileab, ⌞born⌟ to Abigail (who had been Nabal’s wife) from Carmel. The third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah (the daughter of King Talmai) from Geshur. 4 The fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital. 5 The sixth was Ithream, ⌞born⌟ to David’s wife Eglah. These sons were born to David while he was in Hebron.
Abner’s Death
6 During the war between the families of Saul and David, Abner strengthened his position in Saul’s royal family. 7 Saul had a concubine [a] named Rizpah (Aiah’s daughter). Ishbosheth asked Abner, “Why did you have sex with my father’s concubine?”
8 Ishbosheth’s question made Abner very angry. “Have I been behaving like some Judean dog?” he asked. “Until now I’ve been faithful to your father Saul’s family, to his relatives and friends, and I haven’t handed you over to David. But now you charge me with a crime because of this woman. 9 May God strike me dead unless I do for David what the Lord had promised him with an oath: 10 ‘I, the Lord, will transfer the kingship from Saul’s family and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.’ ” 11 Ishbosheth couldn’t respond to a single word, because he was afraid of Abner.
12 Then Abner sent messengers to David to speak on his behalf. “Who owns this country?” he asked. “Make an agreement with me,” he said. “I’ll support you and bring all Israel to you.”
13 “Good!” David answered. “I’ll make an agreement with you. But there’s one condition: You can’t come to see me unless you bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come.”
14 Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ishbosheth to say, “Give me my wife Michal. I made a payment of 100 Philistine foreskins for her.”
15 So Ishbosheth sent men to take her from her husband Paltiel, son of Laish. 16 Her husband went with her and cried over her all the way to Bahurim. “Go home,” Abner told him. So he went home.
17 Meanwhile, Abner sent the following message to the leaders of Israel: “For some time now you’ve wanted to make David your king. 18 Do it now, because the Lord said about David: ‘I will save my people Israel from the Philistines and all their other enemies through my servant David.’ ” 19 Abner also spoke specifically to the people of Benjamin.
Then Abner went directly to David in Hebron to tell him everything Israel and the entire tribe of Benjamin had approved. 20 So Abner came with 20 men to David in Hebron, and David had a feast for Abner and his men.
21 Abner told David, “I must go now so that I can gather all Israel for you, Your Majesty. They will make a treaty with you, and you will rule everything your heart desires.” Then David dismissed Abner, who left peacefully.
22 Just then David’s men and Joab were coming home from a raid with a lot of goods. Abner had been dismissed, so he was no longer with David in Hebron. 23 When Joab came back with the whole army, he was told, “Ner’s son Abner came to the king, but David dismissed him, and Abner left peacefully.”
24 Then Joab went to the king and asked, “What have you done? Abner came to see you. Why did you dismiss him and let him get away? 25 Certainly you must know that Ner’s son Abner came to deceive you, to find out about your movements and learn everything you’re doing!”
26 After leaving David, Joab sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the cistern of Sirah without David knowing about it. 27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gateway as if to talk to him privately. There he stabbed Abner in the belly. Abner died because he spilled the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.
28 Later when David heard about it, he said, “As far as the Lord is concerned, my kingdom and I are forever innocent of spilling the blood of Ner’s son Abner. 29 May the blame fall on the head of Joab and all of his family. May there always be members of Joab’s family who have oozing sores and skin diseases, who can only work a spindle,[b] who die in battle, and who never have any food.” 30 (Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
31 David told Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” King David followed the open casket. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly at Abner’s grave, and all the people cried. 33 The king sang a funeral song for Abner:
Should Abner die like a godless fool?
34 Your hands were not tied.
Your feet were not chained.
You fell as one falls in front of wicked men.
And all the people continued to cry for him.
35 That entire day all the people tried to get David to eat some food. But David had taken an oath: “May God strike me dead if I taste any food or anything else before the sun goes down.” 36 Then all the people understood and approved of this, as all the people approved of everything the king did. 37 That day all the people of Israel knew the king wasn’t responsible for killing Ner’s son Abner. 38 The king said to his officers, “Don’t you know that today a leader, a great man, has fallen in Israel? 39 Today I’m weak, though I’m the anointed king. These men, Zeruiah’s sons, are too cruel for me. May the Lord repay this evildoer as his evil deeds deserve.”
Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
13 Before the Passover festival, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. Jesus loved his own who were in the world, and he loved them to the end.
2 While supper was taking place, the devil had already put the idea of betraying Jesus into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.
3 The Father had put everything in Jesus’ control. Jesus knew that. He also knew that he had come from God and was going back to God. 4 So he got up from the table, removed his outer clothes, took a towel, and tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that he had tied around his waist.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered Peter, “You don’t know now what I’m doing. You will understand later.”
8 Peter told Jesus, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus replied to Peter, “If I don’t wash you, you don’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, don’t wash only my feet. Wash my hands and my head too!”
10 Jesus told Peter, “People who have washed are completely clean. They need to have only their feet washed. All of you, except for one, are clean.” 11 (Jesus knew who was going to betray him. That’s why he said, “All of you, except for one, are clean.”)
12 After Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothes, he took his place at the table again. Then he asked his disciples, “Do you understand what I’ve done for you? 13 You call me teacher and Lord, and you’re right because that’s what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you must wash each other’s feet. 15 I’ve given you an example that you should follow. 16 I can guarantee this truth: Slaves are not superior to their owners, and messengers are not superior to the people who send them. 17 If you understand all of this, you are blessed whenever you follow my example.
18 “I’m not talking about all of you. I know the people I’ve chosen ⌞to be apostles⌟. However, I’ve made my choice so that Scripture will come true. It says, ‘The one who eats my bread has turned against me.’ 19 I’m telling you now before it happens. Then, when it happens, you will believe that I am the one.
20 “I can guarantee this truth: Whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
Jesus Knows Who Will Betray Him(A)
21 After saying this, Jesus was deeply troubled. He declared, “I can guarantee this truth: One of you is going to betray me!”
22 The disciples began looking at each other and wondering which one of them Jesus meant.
23 One disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, was near him at the table. 24 Simon Peter motioned to that disciple and said, “Ask Jesus whom he’s talking about!”
25 Leaning close to Jesus, that disciple asked, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “He’s the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I’ve dipped it in the sauce.” So Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.
27 Then, after Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, “Hurry! Do what you have to do.” 28 No one at the table knew why Jesus said this to him. 29 Judas had the moneybag. So some thought that Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the festival or to give something to the poor.
30 Judas took the piece of bread and immediately went outside. It was night.
119 Blessed are those whose lives have integrity,
those who follow the teachings of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who obey his written instructions.
They wholeheartedly search for him.
3 They do nothing wrong.
They follow his directions.
4 You have commanded
that your guiding principles be carefully followed.
5 I pray that my ways may become firmly established
so that I can obey your laws.
6 Then I will never feel ashamed
when I study all your commandments.
7 I will give thanks to you
as I learn your regulations, which are based on your righteousness.
8 I will obey your laws.
Never abandon me.
9 How can a young person keep his life pure?
⌞He can do it⌟ by holding on to your word.
10 I wholeheartedly searched for you.
Do not let me wander away from your commandments.
11 I have treasured your promise in my heart
so that I may not sin against you.
12 Thanks be to you, O Lord.
Teach me your laws.
13 With my lips I have repeated
every regulation that ⌞comes⌟ from your mouth.
14 I find joy in the way ⌞shown by⌟ your written instructions
more than I find joy in all kinds of riches.
15 I want to reflect on your guiding principles
and study your ways.
16 Your laws make me happy.
I never forget your word.
29 The Lord is far from wicked people,
but he hears the prayers of righteous people.
30 A twinkle in the eye delights the heart.
Good news refreshes the body.
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