2 Samuel 21; 2 Samuel 22; Luke 18:24-43

2 Samuel 21

1 During David's reign there was a famine for three successive years, so David inquired of the Lord. The Lord answered, "It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family when he killed the Gibeonites."

2 The Gibeonites were not Israelites but rather a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but Saul had tried to kill them in his zeal for the Israelites and Judah. So David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them.

3 He asked the Gibeonites, "What should I do for you? How can I wipe out this guilt so that you will bring a blessing on the Lord's inheritance?"

4 The Gibeonites said to him, "We are not asking for money from Saul or his family, and we cannot put anyone to death in Israel." "Whatever you say, I will do for you," he said.

5 They replied to the king, "As for the man who annihilated us and plotted to exterminate us so we would not exist within the whole territory of Israel,

6 let seven of his male descendants be handed over to us so we may hang them in the presence of the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the Lord's chosen." The king answered, "I will hand them over."

7 David spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between David and Jonathan, Saul's son.

8 But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, who were the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, and the five sons whom Merabdaughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite

9 and handed them over to the Gibeonites. They hanged them on the hill in the presence of the Lord; the seven of them died together. They were executed in the first days of the harvest at the beginning of the barley harvest.

10 Rizpah, Aiah's daughter, took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock from the beginning of the harvest until the rain poured down from heaven on the bodies. She kept the birds of the sky from them by day and the wild animals by night.

11 When it was reported to David what Saul's concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done,

12 he went and got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the leaders of Jabesh-gilead. They had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung them the day the Philistines killed Saul at Gilboa.

13 David had the bones brought from there. They also gathered up the bones of Saul's family who had been hung.

14 They [also] buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan at Zela in the land of Benjamin in the tomb of Saul's father Kish. They did everything the king commanded. After this, God answered prayer for the land.

15 The Philistines again waged war against Israel. David went down with his soldiers, and they fought the Philistines, but David became exhausted.

16 Then Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giant, whose bronze spear weighed about eight pounds and who wore new armor, intended to kill David.

17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him: "You must never again go out with us to battle. You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel."

18 After this, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giant.

19 Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam.

20 At Gath there was still another battle. A huge man was there with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot-24 in all. He, too, was descended from the giant.

21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, son of David's brother Shimei, killed him.

22 These four were descended from the giant in Gath and were killed by David and his soldiers.

2 Samuel 22

1 David spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

2 He said: The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,

3 my God, my mountain where I seek refuge. My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.

4 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was saved from my enemies.

5 For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of destruction terrified me.

6 The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

7 I called to the Lord in my distress; I called to my God. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help [reached] His ears.

8 Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled; they shook because He burned with anger.

9 Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire [came] from His mouth; coals were set ablaze by it.

10 He parted the heavens and came down, a dark cloud beneath His feet.

11 He rode on a cherub and flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.

12 He made darkness a canopy around Him, a gathering of water and thick clouds.

13 From the radiance of His presence, flaming coals were ignited.

14 The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High projected His voice.

15 He shot arrows and scattered them; [He hurled] lightning bolts and routed them.

16 The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

17 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He pulled me out of deep waters.

18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

19 They confronted me in the day of my distress, but the Lord was my support.

20 He brought me out to a wide-open place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.

21 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; He repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.

22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not turned from my God to wickedness.

23 Indeed, I have kept all His ordinances in mind and have not disregarded His statutes.

24 I was blameless before Him and kept myself from sinning.

25 So the Lord repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.

26 With the faithful You prove Yourself faithful; with the blameless man You prove Yourself blameless;

27 with the pure You prove Yourself pure, but with the crooked You prove Yourself shrewd.

28 You rescue an afflicted people, but Your eyes are set against the proud- You humble them.

29 Lord, You are my lamp; the Lord illuminates my darkness.

30 With You I can attack a barrier, and with my God I can leap over a wall.

31 God-His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

32 For who is God besides the Lord? And who is a rock? Only our God.

33 God is my strong refuge; He makes my way perfect.

34 He makes my feet like [the feet of] a deer and sets me securely on the heights.

35 He trains my hands for war; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36 You have given me the shield of Your salvation; Your help exalts me.

37 You widen [a place] beneath me for my steps, and my ankles do not give way.

38 I pursue my enemies and destroy them; I do not turn back until they are wiped out.

39 I wipe them out and crush them, and they do not rise; they fall beneath my feet.

40 You have clothed me with strength for battle; You subdue my adversaries beneath me.

41 You have made my enemies retreat before me; I annihilate those who hated me.

42 They look, but there is no one to save [them]- [they look] to the Lord, but He does not answer them.

43 I pulverize them like dust of the earth; I crush them and trample them like mud in the streets.

44 You have freed me from the feuds among my people; You have appointed me the head of nations; a people I had not known serve me.

45 Foreigners submit to me grudgingly; as soon as they hear, they obey me.

46 Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their fortifications.

47 The Lord lives-may my rock be praised! God, the rock of my salvation, is exalted.

48 God-He gives me vengeance and casts down peoples under me.

49 He frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my adversaries; You rescue me from violent men.

50 Therefore I will praise You, Lord, among the nations; I will sing about Your name.

51 He is a tower of salvation for His king; He shows loyalty to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.

Luke 18:24-43

24 Seeing that he became sad, Jesus said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

26 Those who heard this asked, "Then who can be saved?"

27 He replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

28 Then Peter said, "Look, we have left what we had and followed You."

29 So He said to them, "I assure you: There is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God,

30 who will not receive many times more at this time, and eternal life in the age to come."

31 Then He took the Twelve aside and told them, "Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.

32 For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and He will be mocked, insulted, spit on;

33 and after they flog Him, they will kill Him, and He will rise on the third day."

34 They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

35 As He drew near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

36 Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what this meant.

37 "Jesus the Nazarene is passing by," they told him.

38 So he called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

39 Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

40 Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him. When he drew near, He asked him,

41 "What do you want Me to do for you?" "Lord," he said, "I want to see!"

42 "Receive your sight!" Jesus told him. "Your faith has healed you."

43 Instantly he could see, and he began to follow Him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.