1 Samuel 25; 1 Samuel 26; Luke 12:32-59

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1 Samuel 25

1 Now Samuel died, and all the Israelites met and had a time of sad- ness for him. Then they buried him at his home in Ramah. David moved to the Desert of Maon.

2 A man in Maon who had land at Carmel was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was cutting the wool off his sheep at Carmel.

3 His name was Nabal, and he was a descendant of Caleb. His wife was named Abigail. She was wise and beautiful, but Nabal was cruel and mean.

4 While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep.

5 So he sent ten young men and told them, "Go to Nabal at Carmel, and greet him for me.

6 Say to Nabal, 'May you and your family and all who belong to you have good health!

7 I have heard that you are cutting the wool from your sheep. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harm them. All the time your shepherds were at Carmel, we stole nothing from them.

8 Ask your servants, and they will tell you. We come at a happy time, so be kind to my young men. Please give anything you can find for them and for your son David.'"

9 When David's men arrived, they gave the message to Nabal, but Nabal insulted them.

10 He answered them, "Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many slaves are running away from their masters today!

11 I have bread and water, and I have meat that I killed for my servants who cut the wool. But I won't give it to men I don't know."

12 David's men went back and told him all Nabal had said.

13 Then David said to them, "Put on your swords!" So they put on their swords, and David put on his also. About four hundred men went with David, but two hundred men stayed with the supplies.

14 One of Nabal's servants said to Abigail, Nabal's wife, "David sent messengers from the desert to greet our master, but Nabal insulted them.

15 These men were very good to us. They did not harm us. They stole nothing from us during all the time we were out in the field with them.

16 Night and day they protected us. They were like a wall around us while we were with them caring for the sheep.

17 Now think about it, and decide what you can do. Terrible trouble is coming to our master and all his family. Nabal is such a wicked man that no one can even talk to him."

18 Abigail hurried. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two leather bags full of wine, five cooked sheep, a bushel of cooked grain, a hundred cakes of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs and put all these on donkeys.

19 Then she told her servants, "Go on. I'll follow you." But she did not tell her husband.

20 Abigail rode her donkey and came down toward the mountain hideout. There she met David and his men coming down toward her.

21 David had just said, "It's been useless! I watched over Nabal's property in the desert. I made sure none of his sheep was missing. I did good to him, but he has paid me back with evil.

22 May God punish my enemies even more. I will not leave one of Nabal's men alive until morning."

23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed facedown on the ground before him.

24 She fell at David's feet and said, "My master, let the blame be on me! Please let me talk to you. Listen to what I say.

25 My master, don't pay attention to this worthless man Nabal. He is like his name. His name means 'fool,' and he is truly a fool. But I, your servant, didn't see the men you sent.

26 The Lord has kept you from killing and punishing anyone. As surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, may your enemies become like Nabal!

27 I have brought a gift to you for the men who follow you.

28 Please forgive my wrong. The Lord will certainly let your family have many kings, because you fight his battles. As long as you live, may you do nothing bad.

29 Someone might chase you to kill you, but the Lord your God will keep you alive. He will throw away your enemies' lives as he would throw a stone from a sling.

30 The Lord will keep all his promises of good things for you. He will make you leader over Israel.

31 Then you won't feel guilty or troubled because you killed innocent people and punished them. Please remember me when the Lord brings you success."

32 David answered Abigail, "Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me.

33 May you be blessed for your wisdom. You have kept me from killing or punishing people today.

34 As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, he has kept me from hurting you. If you hadn't come quickly to meet me, not one of Nabal's men would have lived until morning."

35 Then David accepted Abigail's gifts. He told her, "Go home in peace. I have heard your words, and I will do what you have asked."

36 When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was in the house, eating like a king. He was very drunk and in a good mood. So she told him nothing until the next morning.

37 In the morning when he was not drunk, his wife told him everything. His heart stopped, and he became like stone.

38 About ten days later the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise the Lord! Nabal insulted me, but the Lord has supported me! He has kept me from doing wrong. The Lord has punished Nabal for his wrong." Then David sent a message to Abigail, asking her to be his wife.

40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, "David sent us to take you so you can become his wife."

41 Abigail bowed facedown on the ground and said, "I am your servant. I'm ready to serve you and to wash the feet of my master's servants."

42 Abigail quickly got on a donkey and went with David's messengers, with her five maids following her. And she became David's wife.

43 David also had married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So they were both David's wives.

44 Saul's daughter Michal was also David's wife, but Saul had given her to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

1 Samuel 26

1 The people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and said to him, "David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah opposite Jeshimon."

2 So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to look for David there.

3 Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah opposite Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he heard Saul had followed him,

4 he sent out spies and learned for certain that Saul had come to Hakilah.

5 Then David went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, were sleeping. Saul was sleeping in the middle of the camp with all the army around him.

6 David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who will go down into Saul's camp with me?" Abishai answered, "I'll go with you."

7 So that night David and Abishai went into Saul's camp. Saul was asleep in the middle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the army were sleeping around Saul.

8 Abishai said to David, "Today God has handed your enemy over to you. Let me pin Saul to the ground with my spear. I'll only have to do it once. I won't need to hit him twice."

9 But David said to Abishai, "Don't kill Saul! No one can harm the Lord's appointed king and still be innocent!

10 As surely as the Lord lives, the Lord himself will punish Saul. Maybe Saul will die naturally, or maybe he will go into battle and be killed.

11 But may the Lord keep me from harming his appointed king! Take the spear and water jug that are near Saul's head. Then let's go."

12 So David took the spear and water jug that were near Saul's head, and they left. No one saw them or knew about it or woke up, because the Lord had put them sound asleep.

13 David crossed over to the other side of the hill and stood on top of the mountain far from Saul's camp. They were a long way away from each other.

14 David shouted to the army and to Abner son of Ner, "Won't you answer me, Abner?" Abner answered, "Who is calling for the king? Who are you?"

15 David said, "You're the greatest man in Israel. Isn't that true? Why didn't you guard your master the king? Someone came into your camp to kill your master the king!

16 You have not done well. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men should die. You haven't guarded your master, the Lord's appointed king. Look! Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?"

17 Saul knew David's voice. He said, "Is that your voice, David my son?" David answered, "Yes, it is, my master and king."

18 David also said, "Why are you chasing me, my master? What wrong have I done? What evil am I guilty of?

19 My master and king, listen to me. If the Lord made you angry with me, let him accept an offering. But if people did it, may the Lord curse them! They have made me leave the land the Lord gave me. They have told me, 'Go and serve other gods.'

20 Now don't let me die far away from the Lord's presence. The king of Israel has come out looking for a flea! You're just hunting a bird in the mountains!"

21 Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Today you respected my life, so I will not try to hurt you. I have been very stupid and foolish."

22 David answered, "Here is your spear. Let one of your young men come here and get it.

23 The Lord rewards us for the things we do right and for our loyalty to him. The Lord handed you over to me today, but I wouldn't harm the Lord's appointed king.

24 As I respected your life today, may the Lord also respect my life and save me from all trouble."

25 Then Saul said to David, "You are blessed, my son David. You will do great things and succeed." So David went on his way, and Saul went back home.

Luke 12:32-59

32 "Don't fear, little flock, because your Father wants to give you the kingdom.

33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Get for yourselves purses that will not wear out, the treasure in heaven that never runs out, where thieves can't steal and moths can't destroy.

34 Your heart will be where your treasure is.

35 "Be dressed, ready for service, and have your lamps shining.

36 Be like servants who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. When he comes and knocks, the servants immediately open the door for him.

37 They will be blessed when their master comes home, because he sees that they were watching for him. I tell you the truth, the master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at the table, and he will serve them.

38 Those servants will be happy when he comes in and finds them still waiting, even if it is midnight or later.

39 "Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, he would not allow the thief to enter his house.

40 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time when you don't expect him!"

41 Peter said, "Lord, did you tell this story to us or to all people?"

42 The Lord said, "Who is the wise and trusted servant that the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time?

43 When the master comes and finds the servant doing his work, the servant will be blessed.

44 I tell you the truth, the master will choose that servant to take care of everything he owns.

45 But suppose the servant thinks to himself, 'My master will not come back soon,' and he begins to beat the other servants, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk.

46 The master will come when that servant is not ready and is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and send him away to be with the others who don't obey.

47 "The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready, or who does not do what the master wants, will be beaten with many blows!

48 But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. And from the one trusted with much, much more will be expected.

49 "I came to set fire to the world, and I wish it were already burning!

50 I have a baptismn to suffer through, and I feel very troubled until it is over.

51 Do you think I came to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, I came to divide it.

52 From now on, a family with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three.

53 They will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

54 Then Jesus said to the people, "When you see clouds coming up in the west, you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it happens.

55 When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, 'It will be a hot day,' and it happens.

56 Hypocrites! You know how to understand the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don't you understand what is happening now?

57 "Why can't you decide for yourselves what is right?

58 If your enemy is taking you to court, try hard to settle it on the way. If you don't, your enemy might take you to the judge, and the judge might turn you over to the officer, and the officer might throw you into jail.

59 I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid everything you owe."

1 Samuel 25; 1 Samuel 26; Luke 12:32-59

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1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 26

Luke 12:32-59