Old/New Testament
12 ¶ And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich and the other poor.
2 The rich man had exceeding many sheep and cows,
3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up, and it grew up together with him and with his children; it ate of his own food and drank of his own cup and lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter.
4 And a traveller came unto the rich man, who did not wish to take of his own sheep and of his own cows to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man’s lamb and dressed it for the man that had come to him.
5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the LORD lives, the man that has done this thing is worthy of death,
6 and he shall pay for the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity.
7 Then Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul,
8 and I gave thee thy master’s house and thy master’s wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah, and if that is too little, I shall add unto thee such and such things.
9 Why, therefore, hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah, the Hittite, with the sword and hast taken his wife to be thy wife and hast slain him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
10 Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from thy house because thou hast despised me and hast taken the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, to be thy wife.
11 Thus hath the LORD said, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house, and I will take thy wives before thy eyes and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou hast done it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.
13 Then David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also has taken away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
14 However, because by this deed, thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme; the son that is born unto thee shall surely die.
15 ¶ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had given birth unto David, and it was very sick.
16 David, therefore, besought God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth.
17 And the elders of his house arose and went to him to raise him up from the earth, but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
18 And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. And the slaves of David feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice; how much more will it trouble him if we tell him that the child is dead?
19 But when David saw that his slaves whispered, David understood that the child was dead; therefore, David said unto his slaves, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
20 Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes and came into the house of the LORD and worshipped. Then he came to his own house; and when he asked, they set bread before him, and he ate.
21 Then his slaves said unto him, What is this that thou hast done? Thou didst fast and weep for the child while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
22 And he replied, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will have mercy on me, that the child may live?
23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
24 And David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and went in unto her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he called his name Solomon; {Heb. peace offering} and the LORD loved him.
25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan, the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, {Heb. beloved of the LORD} by the LORD.
26 ¶ And Joab fought against Rabbah, of the sons of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27 Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, I have fought against Rabbah and have taken the city of waters.
28 Now, therefore, gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.
29 And David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.
30 And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold with the precious stones, and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
31 And he brought forth the people that were therein and put them under saws and under harrows of iron and under axes of iron and made them pass through the brickkiln, and thus did he unto all the cities of the sons of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
13 ¶ And it came to pass after this that Absalom, the son of David, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar, and Amnon, the son of David, loved her.
2 And Amnon was so distressed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it difficult for him to do any thing to her.
3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, and Jonadab was a very astute man.
4 And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, becoming thinner from day to day? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.
5 And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed and pretend to be sick; and when thy father comes to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come and give me food and make the food in my sight that I may see it and eat it at her hand.
6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick, and when the king came to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar, my sister, come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight that I may eat at her hand.
7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon’s house and make him something to eat.
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was lying down. And she took flour and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes.
9 Then she took a pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Send everyone out from me. And they all went out from him.
10 Then Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the food into the chamber that I may eat from thy hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon, her brother.
11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.
12 And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not commit this folly.
13 And I, where shall I go with my reproach? And as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now, therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king, for he will not withhold me from thee.
14 Howbeit, he would not hearken unto her voice, but, being stronger than she, forced her and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.
16 And she said unto him, There is no cause; this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.
17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him and said, Put now this woman out from me and bolt the door after her.
18 And she had a garment of different colours upon her, for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her.
19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and rent her garment of different colours that was on her and laid her hand on her head and went on crying.
20 And Absalom, her brother, said unto her, Has Amnon thy brother been with thee? But now remain silent, my sister; he is thy brother; do not regard this thing in thy heart. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.
21 ¶ But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.
22 And Absalom spoke neither good nor bad unto his brother Amnon, for Absalom hated Amnon because he had forced his sister Tamar.
23 And it came to pass after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.
24 And Absalom came to the king and said, Behold now, thy slave has sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his slaves go with thy slave.
25 And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go lest we be burdensome unto thee. And he pressed him; however, he would not go but blessed him.
26 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
27 But because Absalom pressed him, he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.
28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon, then kill him. Fear not; have I not commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant.
29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and they all got upon their mules and fled.
30 ¶ And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that the rumour came to David, saying, Absalom has slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left.
31 Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth; and all his slaves stood by with their clothes rent.
32 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, Do not let my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king’s sons, for only Amnon is dead, for by the mouth of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
33 Now, therefore, do not let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead, for only Amnon is dead.
34 But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there came many people by the way of the side of the mountain behind him.
35 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king’s sons come; as thy slave said, so it is.
36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his slaves wept very sore.
37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
38 So after Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he was there three years.
39 And King David longed to see Absalom, for he was now comforted concerning Amnon, who was dead.
16 ¶ And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
2 And he called him and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou may no longer be steward.
3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord takes the stewardship away from me; I cannot dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
4 I know what I shall do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
5 So he called each one of his lord’s debtors unto him and said unto the first, How much dost thou owe unto my lord?
6 And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill and sit down quickly and write fifty.
7 Then said he to another, And how much dost thou owe? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill and write eighty.
8 And the lord commended the unjust steward because he had done discreetly; for the sons of this age are in their generation more prudent than the sons of light.
9 And I say unto you, Make friends unto yourselves with the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when these fail, you may be received into eternal dwellings.
10 He that is faithful with little is faithful also with much, and he that is unjust with little is unjust also with much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him.
15 And he said unto them, Ye are they who justify themselves before men, but God knows your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
16 The law and the prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and whosoever will presses into it.
17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fail.
18 Whosoever puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whosoever marries her that is put away of her husband commits adultery.
19 ¶ There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day;
20 and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores
21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom; the rich man also died and was buried;
23 and in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime didst receive thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted here, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass from there to us.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou would send him to my father’s house,
28 for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, No, father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, even though one rose from the dead.
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