The Daily Audio Bible
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23 The whole land wept with a loud voice as all the people passed by. Now the king was crossing over the brook Kidron, and all of the people were crossing over on the road to the wilderness.
24 And also Zadok and all of the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar came up until all of the people had finished passing from the city.
25 The king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back to the city. If I have found favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and allow me to see both it and its resting place. 26 But if He should say now, ‘I take no delight in you,’ here I am. May He do to me what seems good to Him.”
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace with your two sons, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word from you comes to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30 David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and he went barefoot. Then all of the people who were with him each covered his head and went up, weeping as they went. 31 Now it was reported to David that Ahithophel was conspiring with Absalom, and David said, “O Lord, make the advice of Ahithophel folly.”
32 When David came to the summit where he would worship God, Hushai the Arkite approached him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you pass on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city, you may say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king, as I was a servant of your father. As I was then, so now I am your servant,’ so as to counter the advice of Ahithophel. 35 Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you there? You shall report everything that you hear from the king’s house to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Their two sons Ahimaaz the son of Zadok and Jonathan the son of Abiathar will be there with them. You shall send word of everything that you hear to me by their hand.”
37 So Hushai, the friend of David, came to the city as Absalom entered Jerusalem.
David and Ziba
16 When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of saddled donkeys carrying two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and one skin of wine.
2 The king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these things?”
Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the household of the king to ride. The bread and the summer fruit are for the servants to eat. The wine is for those who become weary in the wilderness to drink.”
3 The king said, “And where is your master’s son?”
Ziba said to the king, “He is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today they will return to me the house of Israel and my father’s kingdom.’ ”
4 Then David said to Ziba, “Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.”
Ziba replied, “I bow before you. May I find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”
Shimei Curses David
5 When King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul came out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he came out continuously cursing. 6 He threw stones at David and all of the servants of King David, as well as all of the people and all of the warriors who were at his right and left. 7 Shimei said when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you scoundrel! 8 The Lord has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. And the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. You are taken in your own evil, because you are a man of blood.”
9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “How can this dead dog curse my lord the king! Let me go over and remove his head.”
10 The king responded, “What do you have against me, sons of Zeruiah? Suppose that he curses because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who shall then say, ‘Why do you do so?’ ”
11 David then said to Abishai and to all of his servants, “My son who came from my own body seeks my life, and now also this Benjamite. Leave him alone and let him curse if the Lord has so instructed him. 12 Perhaps today the Lord will look upon my guilt and return kindness instead of his cursing.”
13 So David and his men continued on the road, and Shimei went along on the hillside beside them, cursing, throwing stones, and flinging dust at them as he went. 14 The king and all of the people who were with him arrived at their destination exhausted, but he refreshed himself there.
The Advice of Ahithophel and Hushai
15 Now Absalom and all of the Israelite people entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 When Hushai the Arkite, the friend of David, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 Then Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this the extent of your commitment to your friend? Why have you not gone with your friend?”
18 Hushai said to Absalom, “No! For whom the Lord, this people, and all men of Israel have chosen, his I will be and with him I will remain. 19 Furthermore, whom shall I serve? Should it not be his son? As I served your father, so shall I be with you.”
20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?”
21 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Lie with your father’s concubines, whom he left to watch over the palace. When all Israel hears that you have made yourself abhorred by your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.” 22 So they set up a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all of Israel.
23 In those days, the advice that Ahithophel gave was as when one inquired a word from God. Such was all of the advice of Ahithophel, whether that which he gave to David or to Absalom.
Peter Denies Jesus Again(A)
25 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “Are you not also one of His disciples?”
He denied it and said, “I am not!”
26 One of the servants of the high priest, being a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.
Jesus Before Pilate(B)
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was early. Yet they themselves did not enter the Praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 They answered him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have handed Him over to you.”
31 Then Pilate said, “Take Him and judge Him according to your law.”
The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying what death He would die.
33 Again Pilate entered the Praetorium, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking of your own accord, or did others tell you about Me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight, that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now My kingdom is not from here.”
37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “Then are You a king?”
Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him at all.
Jesus Sentenced to Die(C)
39 “But you have a custom, that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40 They all shouted again, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
19 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged Him. 2 The soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put a purple robe on Him. 3 They said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they hit Him with their hands.
4 Again Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” 5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the Man!”
6 When the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.”
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God!”
8 When Pilate heard these words, he was more afraid, 9 and entered the Praetorium again, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to release You, and power to crucify You?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power at all over Me, unless it were given to you from above. Therefore he who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”
12 From then on, Pilate tried to release Him. But the Jews cried out, “If you release this Man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar!”
13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement (which in Hebrew is Gabbatha). 14 It was the Day of Preparation of the Passover and about the sixth hour.
He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”
15 But they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
16 Then he handed Him over to them to be crucified.
The Crucifixion(D)
So they took Jesus and led Him away. 17 He went out, carrying His own cross, to a place called The Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the middle.
19 Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. The writing was:
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin. 21 The chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’ ”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
ס Samekh
113 I hate those who are double-minded,
but I love Your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield,
I hope in Your word.
115 Depart from me, you who are wicked,
for I keep the commandments of my God.
116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live,
and let me not be ashamed with my hope.
117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe,
and I will have respect for Your statutes continually.
118 You have rejected all those who stray from Your statutes,
for their deceit is falsehood.
119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;
therefore I love Your testimonies.
120 My body trembles for fear of You,
and I am afraid of Your judgments.
ע Ayin
121 I have done what is right and just;
do not abandon me to my oppressors.
122 Be true to Your servant for good;
let not the proud ones oppress me.
123 My eyes long for Your deliverance
and for the promise of Your righteousness.
124 Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
and teach me Your statutes.
125 I am Your servant; grant me understanding,
that I may know Your testimonies.
126 It is time for You, O Lord, to act,
for they have broken Your law.
127 Therefore I love Your commandments
above gold, even fine gold.
128 For I follow all Your precepts to be right,
and I hate every false way.
10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king;
his mouth does not transgress in judgment.
11 A just weight and balance belong to the Lord;
all the weights of the bag are His work.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.