The Daily Audio Bible

¹¹ Then King David sent word to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house [in Jerusalem], since the word of all Israel has come to the king, and to his house? ¹² You are my brothers (relatives, relations); you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?’ ¹³ Say to Amasa [the commander of Absalom’s troops], ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’” ¹⁴ In this way he changed the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so they sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your ^[a]servants.” ¹⁵ So David returned and came to the Jordan. And [supporters from] Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king, to escort him across the Jordan.

¹⁶ Then Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men [from the tribe of] of Judah to meet King David, ¹⁷ and a thousand men [from the tribe] of Benjamin with him. And Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants with him, rushed down to the Jordan before the king. ¹⁸ Then they [repeatedly] crossed the ford to bring over the king’s household (family), and to do what pleased him. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan, ¹⁹ and said to the king, “Let not my lord consider me guilty, nor remember what your servant did ^[b]wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem, so that the king would take it to heart. ²⁰ For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore, behold, I have come today, the first of all the ^[c]house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” ²¹ But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said, “Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?” ²² David said, “What ^[d]business is this of yours, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary to me today? Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?” ²³ Therefore the king said to Shimei, “You shall not be put to death.” And so the king gave him his promise.^(A)

²⁴ Then Mephibosheth the [grand]son of Saul came down to meet the king, but he had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned in peace and safety. ²⁵ And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” ²⁶ He said, “My lord the king, my servant [Ziba] betrayed me; for I said, ‘Saddle a donkey for me so that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ for your servant is lame [but he took the donkeys and left without me].^{(B) 27} Further, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God; so do what is good in your eyes. ²⁸ For were not all of my father’s household (family) nothing but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. So what right do I still have to cry out anymore to the king [for help]?” ²⁹ The king said to him, “Why speak anymore of your affairs? I have said, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’” ³⁰ Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has returned to his own house in safety and peace.”

³¹ Now Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went on to the Jordan with the king to escort him over the Jordan. ³² Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old; and he had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great and wealthy man. ³³ The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me and I will provide for you in Jerusalem with me.” ³⁴ But Barzillai said to the king, “How much longer have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? ³⁵ I am this day eighty years old. Can I [be useful to advise you to] discern between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or drink? Can I still hear the voices of singing men and women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? ³⁶ Your servant would merely cross over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king compensate me with this reward? ³⁷ Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own city [and be buried] by the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham [my son]; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.”^{(C) 38} The king answered, “Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you; and whatever you ask of me, I will do for you.” ³⁹ So all the people crossed over the Jordan. When the king had crossed over, he kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his place.

⁴⁰ Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah and also half the people of Israel accompanied the king. ⁴¹ And all the men of Israel came to the king and said to him, “Why have our brothers (relatives), the men [from the tribe] of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king and his household and all David’s men with him over the Jordan [instead of waiting for us to arrive]?” ⁴² Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is a close relative to us. So why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has anything been taken for us?” ⁴³ Then the men of ^[e]Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten [tribes’] shares in the king, and we have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt and ignore us [by rushing ahead]? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” ^[f]But the words of the men of Judah were harsher than those of the men of Israel.

Sheba’s Revolt

20 There happened to be there ^[g]a worthless and wicked man named Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. He blew a trumpet [to call Israel to revolt] and said,

² So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah stayed faithfully with their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

³ Then David came to his house (palace) at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, his ^[h]concubines whom he had left to take care of the house, and placed them under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were confined, and lived as widows until the day of their death.

⁴ Now the king said to Amasa [the commander of his army], “Summon the [fighting] men of Judah to me within three days, and be present here yourself.” ⁵ So Amasa went to summon [the fighting men of] Judah, but he delayed longer than the time which David had set for him. ⁶ And David said to Abishai [his nephew], “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, so that he does not find fortified cities for himself and ^[i]escape from our sight.” ⁷ So Joab’s men went after him, along with [David’s bodyguards] the Cherethites and Pelethites and all the warriors; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. ⁸ When they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing his military uniform, and over it he had a belt with a sheathed sword strapped around his hips; and as he went forward, ^[j]it fell out. ⁹ Joab said to Amasa, “Is it going well with you, my ^[k]brother?” And with his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa by the beard [as if] to kiss him [in greeting].

Amasa Murdered

¹⁰ But Amasa [who had replaced Joab as David’s commander] was off guard and not attentive to the sword in Joab’s hand. So Joab struck Amasa in the abdomen with the sword, spilling his intestines to the ground. Without another blow Amasa died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. ¹¹ Now one of Joab’s young men stood by him and said, “Whoever favors Joab and is for David, let him follow Joab!” ¹² But Amasa was wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people who came by stopped [to look], he moved Amasa from the highway into the field and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by Amasa stopped.

Revolt Put Down

¹³ When [the body of] Amasa was removed from the highway, everyone followed after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee

21 After this Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). And He did it in this way: ² Simon Peter, and Thomas who is called Didymus (the twin), and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, as well as [John and James] the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said, “And we are coming with you.” So they went out and got into the boat; and ^[a]that night they caught nothing.

⁴ As morning was breaking, Jesus [came and] stood on the beach; however, the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ So Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish [to eat along with your bread]?” They answered, “No.” ⁶ And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat (starboard) and you will find some.” So they cast [the net], and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great catch of fish. ⁷ Then that disciple (John) whom Jesus loved (esteemed) said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer tunic (for he was stripped for work) and threw himself into the sea [and swam ashore]. ⁸ But the other disciples came in the small boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

⁹ So when they got out on the beach, they saw a charcoal fire set up and fish on it cooking, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three [of them]; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus Provides

¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are You?” They knew [without any doubt] that it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples, after He had risen from the dead.

The Love Motivation

¹⁵ So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these [others do—with total commitment and devotion]?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I ^[b]love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Feed My lambs.” ¹⁶ Again He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with total commitment and devotion]?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with a deep, personal affection for Me, as for a close friend]?” Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you [really] ^[c]love Me [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend]?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

Our Times Are in His Hand

¹⁸ I assure you and most solemnly say to you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and walked wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and arms, and someone else will dress you, and carry you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹ Now He said this to indicate the ^[d]kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And after saying this, He said to him, “Follow Me [walk the same path of life that I have walked]!”

²⁰ Peter turned and saw the ^[e]disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His chest at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray You?” ²¹ So when Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, and what about this ^[f]man [what is in his future]?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If I want him to stay alive until I come [again], what is that to you? You follow Me!” ²³ So this word went out among the brothers that this disciple (John) was not going to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but only, “If I want him to stay alive until I come [again], what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the same ^[g]disciple who is testifying to these things and has recorded them; and we know [without any doubt] that his testimony is true.

²⁵ And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were recorded ^[h]one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Prayer for Breaking Away from the Treacherous.

A Song of ^[a]Ascents.